Tidal power
The
tides have great potential for future
power and
electricity generation. Tidal power is predictable (unlike
wind energy and
solar power) and
renewable, tapping the virtually infinite amount of the
earth's
rotational energy. The
efficiency of tidal power generation largely depends on the amplitude of the tidal swell, which can be up to 10m where the periodic tidal waves funnel into rivers and fiords. Amplitudes of up to 17m occur for example in the
Bay of Fundy, where
tidal resonance amplifies the tidal waves.
Several smaller tidal power plants have recently started generating electricity in Norway. They all exploit the strong periodic tidal currents in narrow fiords using sub-surface propellers.