The Energy and Climate Change Committee believes the UK could become a leading exporter of wave and tidal power equipment and expertise if the Government adopts a more visionary approach to developing marine renewables. Technologies that can harness the power of the sea to generate electricity are still in their infancy. But with the largest wave and tidal resources in Europe, up to 20% of the UK's electricity could eventually come from this reliable and predictable low-carbon source. Developing a thriving wave and tidal industry could also bring economic benefits to the UK. Companies based here could export equipment and components for marine devices to other markets, and also provide specialist skills and expertise, such as offshore surveying. The UK is currently the world leader in the development of wave and tidal energy technologies. Of the eight full-scale prototype devices installed worldwide, seven are in the UK. But an overly cautious approach to developing this sector may allow other less risk-averse countries to steal the UK's lead, as happened with wind turbines. The report identifies a number of crucial areas for development of the marine renewables industry: investor confidence, policy certainty, public-private risk sharing, improved grid connections and a workforce with the necessary engineering skills are all. The UK needs a strong political vision to boost confidence and drive the pace of development in order to reap the rewards of a successful wave and tidal power industry.

Government response to HC 1624, session 2010-12 (ISBN 9780215041821)

The generation of offshore energy is a rapidly growing sector, competing for space in an already busy seascape. This book brings together the ecological, economic, and social implications of the spatial conflict this growth entails. Covering all energy-generation types (wind, wave, tidal, oil, and gas), it explores the direct and indirect impacts the growth of offshore energy generation has on both the marine environment and the existing uses of marine space. Chapters explore main issues associated with offshore energy, such as the displacement of existing activities and the negative impacts it can have on marine species and ecosystems. Chapters also discuss how the growth of offshore energy generation presents new opportunities for collaboration and co-location with other sectors, for example, the co-location of wild-capture fisheries and wind farms. The book integrates these issues and opportunities, and demonstrates the importance of holistic marine spatial planning for optimising the location of offshore energy-generation sites. It highlights the importance of stakeholder engagement in these planning processes and the role of integrated governance, with illustrative case studies from the United States, United Kingdom, northern Europe, and the Mediterranean. It also discusses trade-off analysis and decision theory and provides a range of tools and best practices to inform future planning processes.

Forecasts future activity in the marine renewables sectors of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy. Written by leading energy industry analysts, the models used in forecasting use realistic costing, based on actual project costs.

It is now widely recognized that there is a need for long-term secure and suitable sustainable forms of energy. Renewable energy from the marine environment, in particular renewable energy from tidal currents, wave and wind, can help achieve a sustainable energy future. Our understanding of environmental impacts and suitable mitigation methods associated with extracting renewable energy from the marine environment is improving all the time and it is essential that we be able to distinguish between natural and anthropocentric drivers and impacts. An overview of current understanding of the environmental implications of marine renewable energy technology is provided.

​This book offers a detailed account of how renewable energy has moved from the margins to the mainstream in the UK, and of the battles that have been fought to achieve this, trawling through the often troubled history of government involvement. The book examines how renewables became what now seem likely to be the dominant energy sources of the future. Renewable energy technologies, using solar and wind power and other natural energy sources, are now supplying around 30% of UK electricity and appear set to continue expanding to supply around 50% within the next decade. Although the emphasis of the book is on the UK, developments there are compared with those in other countries to provide an overall assessment of the relevance of the UK experience. Chapters explore why the UK still lags behind many other countries in deploying renewables, in part, it is argued, due to its continued reliance on nuclear power. The book ends with a discussion on what sort of changes may be expected over the coming years. The author does not assume a single answer, but invites readers to consider the possibilities.

The Climate Change Act 2008 committed the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050. The 2010-2015 Parliament has been a defining period for energy and climate change policy. Three Energy Acts set the policy framework to help the UK achieve its goal. Each Act was designed to support new forms of energy generation, promote energy efficiency and protect consumers. These ambitious pieces of legislation have set the benchmark against which the progress towards providing a secure, clean and affordable energy supply will be judged. The Energy and Climate Change Committee plays a central role in scrutinising and improving the Government's policy and legislation. In section two of this report, the Committee provides a quantitative overview of the work it has undertaken in this Parliament. In section three, the Committee looks in more detail at three case studies - electricity market reform, competition in the energy market and shale gas - each of which highlights the key role the Committee has played in holding the Government to account and improving policy and legislation. Finally, in section four the Committee sets out our future vision for the UK energy system, based on the views and evidence provided by the wide range of stakeholders that it works with. The Committee also explores the challenges which will need to be overcome in the next Parliament if the UK is to achieve its ambitious long-term climate and energy goals.

Eine umfassende Publikation zu sämtlichen Aspekten der Wellen- und Gezeitenenergie. Wave and Tidal Energy gibt einen ausführlichen Überblick über die Entwicklung erneuerbarer Energie aus dem Meer, bezieht sich auf die neueste Forschung und Erfahrungen aus Anlagentests. Das Buch verfolgt zwei Ziele, zum einen vermittelt es Einsteigern in das Fachgebiet eine Überblick über die Wellen- und Gezeitenenergie, zum anderen ist es ein Referenzwerk für komplexere Studien und die Praxis. Es vermittelt Detailwissen zu wichtigen Themen wie Ressourcencharakterisierung, Technologie für Wellen- und Gezeitenanlagen, Stromversorgungssysteme, numerische und physikalische Modellierung, Umwelteffekte und Politik. Zusätzlich enthält es eine aktuelle Übersicht über Entwicklungen in der ganzen Welt sowie Fallstudien zu ausgewählten Projekten. Hauptmerkmale: - Ausführliches Referenzwerk zu allen Aspekten der interdisziplinären Fachrichten Wellen- und Gezeitenenergie. - Greift auf die neuesten Forschungsergebnisse und die Erfahrung führender Experten in der numerischen und laborgestützten Modellierung zurück. - Gibt einen Überblick über regionale Entwicklungen in aller Welt, repräsentative Projekte werden in Fallstudien vorgestellt. Wave and Tidal Energy ist ein wertvolles Referenzwerk für eine breite Leserschaft, von Studenten der Ingenieurwissenschaften und technischen Managern über politische Entscheidungsträger bis hin zu Studienabsolventen und Forschern.

The effects of human-caused global warming are obvious, requiring new strategies and approaches. The concept of business-as-usual is now no longer beneficial. Extraction of renewable energy in marine environments represents a viable solution and an important path for the future. These huge renewable energy resources in seas and oceans can be harvested, including wind, tide, and waves. Despite the initial difficulties related mostly to the elevated operational risks in the harsh marine environment, newly developed technologies are economically effective or promising. Simultaneously, many challenges remain to be faced. These are the main issues targeted by the present book, which is associated with the Special Issue of Energies Journal entitled “Renewable Energy in Marine Environment”. Papers on innovative technical developments, reviews, case studies, and analytics, as well as assessments, and papers from different disciplines that are relevant to the topic are included. From this perspective, we hope that the results presented are of interest to for scientists and those in related fields such as energy and marine environments, as well as for a wider audience.