Decarbonizing Alaska with Tidal Energy? It’s Possible!
Recent studies conducted in the United States have revealed that tidal energy could play a significant role in decarbonizing Alaska and facilitating the production of clean fuels such as hydrogen.
The First Study of Its Kind in Alaska
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), conducted research in Q2 2024 to quantify the role tidal energy could play in Alaska’s energy grid. Cook Inlet, abundant in tidal energy resources, is directly connected to the Railbelt grid, which serves 75% of Alaska’s population, including Fairbanks and Anchorage.
The results are more than promising, highlighting the significant potential of tidal energy. According to the findings, the current Railbelt grid could accommodate up to 200 MW of tidal energy, sufficient to power at least half of Anchorage’s 115,000 households. Following planned modernization efforts, this capacity could increase to 300 MW, meeting the entire city’s energy needs. Additionally, leveraging these natural resources could reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the grid by as much as 37%.
Meeting 14% of Railbelt’s Electricity Demand
The technical resource potential of Cook Inlet is estimated at 80 TWh annually, exceeding the Railbelt grid’s electricity consumption. This “surplus” energy could be used to produce clean fuels like hydrogen or ammonia.
Estimates from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory indicate that tidal energy could meet approximately 14% of Railbelt’s electricity demand by 2035, potentially rising to 20% after grid modernization. Marine tidal energy systems harness energy through water movement during tides and are predictable to within an inch, making them a reliable complement to other renewable energy sources in the grid.
In February, the U.S. DOE selected two marine energy projects to receive $6 million in funding for developing pilot research, development, and demonstration facilities for tidal energy. One of these projects, led by ORPC, aims to deploy two tidal energy devices in Cook Inlet to demonstrate the feasibility of further investments in tidal energy at this location.
Source: Offshore Energy