California State Senate passes wave and tidal energy bill

The California State Senate unanimously approved on Thursday a bill that directs the state’s primary energy policy and planning agency to study the feasibility and potential for wave and tidal energy development.

The California Energy Commission is expected to be collaborating on this project with the relevant state agencies. The SB 605 bill by Senator Steve Padilla also stipulates that the commission has to report its findings to the Legislature and Governor by set deadlines.

The text of the bill points out there is the possibility of those technologies having an impact on the ocean species and habitat and declares that they need to be developed in a manner that protects coastal and marine ecosystems.

“The state should use its authority under state programs and policies to ensure avoidance, minimization, and mitigation of significant adverse impacts and monitoring and adaptive management for offshore wave and tidal energy projects and their associated infrastructure,” it adds.

The measure will now move for consideration by the Assembly.

The passing of the bill was welcomed by sector players such as the AltaSea non-profit located at the Port of Los Angeles, Oakland-based wave technology developer CalWave Power Technologies Inc, and Swedish-Israeli peer Eco Wave Power Global AB.

CalWave has successfully concluded a 10-month pilot off the California coast, while Eco Wave Power unveiled in January the first-ever onshore wave energy unit at AltaSea’s campus.

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