Local utility looks to tidal power as potential source of renewable energy

Local utility looks to tidal power as potential source of renewable energy

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Story Published: Sep 19, 2007 at 6:13 PM PDT

Story Updated: Sep 19, 2007 at 6:28 PM PDT

By KOMO Staff

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SNOHOMISH COUNTY -- The race has been ongoing on for local utilities to find new sources of renewable energy ever since voters passed an initiative last fall, making the search mandatory. And one power company believes the it has found the answer, deep in the water.

Off the coast of Whidbey Island, the Snohomish County Public Utilities District No. 1 is counting on the water flowing through Admiralty Inlet. The utility hopes to generate power from the currents.

To find out just how strong the currents are, a special instrument called an "acoustic doppler profiler" was sunk to the sea floor for a month. The machine is now out of the water, and scientists will get a specific reading on the currents at different depths.

"I'm hoping that I'm going to see some pretty strong currents," said Brian Polagye, a mechanical engineer with the University of Washington. "The over-the-side measurements indicated that the currents in this area are stronger than we expected. And I hope the time measurements kind of verify that."

Admiralty Inlet is one of seven spots around the Puget Sound where Snohomish County PUD has received federal permits to study tidal energy.

"Puget Sound has so many different variations in the flow." said Jeff Cox, profiler operator. "Admiralty Inlet is a pretty active area. Tacoma Narrows is a very active area and then we have places like Deception Pass that are very small in size but with very large currents."

Power would be generated by turbines like the ones on a wind farm. Except these turbines would be placed underwater and set to rotate slowly so they don't harm fish or whales.

The technology is still in its early stages, but tests conducted in New York and Canada have been promising so far.

Snohomish County PUD estimates it will take three to five years of study before any of the turbines are actually placed under water.

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