California Senate Passes Bill to Promote Wave and Tidal Energy

The California Senate on June 20 approved legislation to study the feasibility and benefits of using wave energy and tidal energy as forms of clean energy in the state. The legislation also allows for pilot projects that assess the technological feasibility and provide research and demonstration of the technology along California’s shores.

Senate bill 605 would set a Feb. 1, 2024 deadline for the California Energy Commission, Ocean Protection Council, and other appropriate agencies to commence a comprehensive, collaborative study and submit a written report to the governor and the legislature by the end of 2024, including findings from the study, data, and findings from certain pilot projects.

Eco Wave Power Global AB, an onshore wave energy technology company, commended the approval saying that the bill would put California on the path to developing a new source of renewable energy and help meet the state’s carbon-free targets while bolstering its grid. The company noted that SB 605 marks  the second bill introduced in the U.S. in recent years focusing on wave energy technology The first one is a New Jersey bill  introduced in March to add wave energy to the state’s energy master plan and provide funding for feasibility studies and pilot programs.

SB 605 would require the development of a strategic plan for the deployment of wave and tidal energy technologies, along with specific generation goals. Furthermore, the strategic plan is to be incorporated into the SB 100 report issued after Jan. 1, 2024. SB 100 enacted in 2018, increased California’s renewable portfolio standard to 60 percent, and set a goal of procuring 100 percent of the state’s retail electricity supply from renewable and zero-carbon resources by 2045.

Wave and tidal energy hold significant potential as renewable and zero-carbon resources to support California’s clean energy objectives. An analysis of the bill draws on a 2021 National Renewable Energy Laboratory report, which estimates a total technical resource capacity of 2,300 terawatt-hours per year for marine energy sources, equivalent to 57 percent of the electricity generated by all 50 states in 2019. California specifically has a substantial wave energy resource of 140 terawatt-hours per year and a smaller tidal energy potential of 1.6 terawatt-hours per year, according to the NREL report. However, further studies are necessary to assess practical viability considering external constraints.

The Biden administration has taken measures to promote wave and tidal energy, including the issuance of a lease for a wave energy research project off the U.S. West Coast. Previous attempts at wave energy projects in California have faced challenges and concerns regarding their impact on coastal areas and marine life. SB 605 recognizes the need for detailed studies and aligns with the Biden administration’s focus on developing ocean wave and tidal energy technologies.

The legislation now advances to the State Assembly for deliberation.