International Round-Up

Chile: Looks like Chile is a hotspot for tidal power. According to a United Press International story, a tidal power feasibility study for Chile found the country had a “unique” wealth of natural tidal sites that, if harnessed only up to 10 percent of available tidal power, could exceed the installed capacity of Chile’s central grid. The study was conducted for the Inter-American Development Bank by Garrard Hassan energy consultancy, based in Bristol, England.  Potential tidal sites include the ports of San Antonio, Puerto Montt and San Vicente, the Corcovado Gulf and the Magellan Straits.

United Kingdom: The UK is considering a tidal barrage project, according to the New York Times, but it’s not clear how far the project will get in light of environmental opposition. Here in the U.S., tidal barrage projects are, in my view, a non-starter.
Even without the barrage project, the UK has a competitive edge in wave power. According to the Guardian:

Analysis also shows that, with 25% of the world’s wave technologies already being developed in the UK, Britain could be the “natural owner” of the global wave power market, generating revenues worth £2bn per year by 2050 and up to 16,000 direct jobs.

Australia: On August 13, 2009, Australia passed a law requiring that 20 percent of electric generation come from renewables by 2020, reports Reuters. The law is expected to spur development of renewables, including wave energy.

International Reports: In July 2009, the World Energy Council issued an interim report updating its survey or world energy resources. The Council report includes a chapter on wave energy and tidal energy resources.