"EASTPORT, Maine — The nation’s first commercial tidal energy project was dedicated Tuesday in this northeastern-most city of the United States, the beginning of a new industry that energy officials project could someday generate a significant portion of the nation’s electricity.
This project, developed by Ocean Renewable Power Co. of Portland, Maine, is a small first step toward this future. The tidal generator that will soon be lowered to the seafloor near here will become part of a network of 20 underwater turbines in this area, producing enough electricity to power some 1,200 homes.
“Tidal energy has arrived in America and it just landed right here,” Ocean Renewable Power’s chief executive, Chris Sauer, told a crowd of about 200 people at the dedication ceremony. Maine is second only to Alaska in the number of places with strong enough tides and waves to support ocean power installations, energy officials said.
The first tidal generator is expected to begin delivering electricity to the regional power grid in September, starting small, with just enough to power 25 homes. It is the product of several years and millions of dollars in investment by Ocean Renewable Power’s backers and the Department of Energy."............................
Do they say how long it will take to pay itself back? I know solar power almost never works out. By the time you have paid for it in energy production, you will have to replace it twice. Same thing with Priuses.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Your information is out of date - unless of course you limit your information only to that which reinforces a previous bias. The investment in a Prius does pencil out in favor of the owner:
http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2 ... yback.html
. The fact that there have been over 1 million Prius cars sold might also be a bit of information for you.
At current American gas prices, Priuses don't make sense.
And it is hard to compare the Prius since they don't offer a non-hybrid version, but when you compare the higher initial prices of hybrid Civics versus non-hybrid, gasoline would have to cost Euro prices of $7 a gallon to make it work economically. The Volt needs a price of $12 a gallon to pay off.
And the hybrids make even less sense if most of your driving is high speed, 65-75, highway driving. Not much opportunity to use the electric and the mile per gallon goes way down.
Better off buying a diesel econobox if you really want to save fuel.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
