California bill promotes development and growth of wave and tidal energy

Offshore staff

LOS ANGELES, California — The California Senate Bill 605 (SB 605) for wave and tidal energy, introduced by California State Senator Steve Padilla of Chula Vista on Feb. 15, aims to promote and facilitate the development and growth of wave energy in the state, which supporters say will help the state reach its clean energy goals.

The bill calls for a comprehensive and collaborative study to “evaluate the feasibility and benefits of using wave energy and tidal energy.” It also requires the state’s Energy Commission to develop a strategic plan for the deployment of wave and tidal energy technologies, infrastructure and facilities.

SB 605 recognizes the benefits of wave energy. If developed and deployed at scale, the bill states that wave and tidal energy “can provide economic and environmental benefits to the state and the nation.” Further, it also notes that ocean energy represents the “third largest source of renewable energy and the largest source of underutilized renewable energy.”

The bill states, “California has set ambitious clean energy targets on the path to carbon neutrality by 2045, but the need for more clean energy is immediate. Wave and tidal energy, or hydrokinetic energy, has the potential to provide that energy in a more expedited fashion as blue economy innovators in California are now looking to bring the technology to scale.”

SB 605 is the second bill introduced focused on exploring wave energy technology introduced in the past year. In March 2022, New Jersey Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak introduced legislation that would require the state of New Jersey to add wave energy to New Jersey’s energy master plan and provide funding for feasibility studies and pilot programs. The bill is currently in the State Senate Environment & Energy Committee and will be brought before the committee in the coming weeks.

“We are pleased to see that wave energy is gaining momentum in California—one of the foremost world leaders in finding innovative solutions to climate change,” said Eco Wave Power Founder and CEO Inna Braverman. “According to the US Energy Information Administration, wave energy has the potential to provide up to 66% of the US’ energy needs, and with California’s 840-mile coastline and our upcoming project at AltaSea in the Port of Los Angeles, California, is an ideal location to explore this innovative technology.”

In January Eco Wave Power unveiled what it says will be the first-ever onshore wave energy unit in the US, at AltaSea’s premises in the Port of Los Angeles. Last year Eco Wave Power entered into an agreement with AltaSea to implement a "first-of-its-kind" wave energy pilot at AltaSea’s premises at the Port of Los Angeles. In just over a year, Eco Wave Power successfully modified, upgraded and transported the conversion unit to Los Angeles. The project’s timeline showcases its ability to be easily transported and replicated to fit the energy needs of a country’s coastline.

03.30.2023