Governor Newsom Signs Wave Energy Legislation into Law

Renewable energy currently relies on solar energy and wind energy to do most of the hard graft. However, those two energy sources supply intermittent power – there is no solar power at night, and wind power can’t be generated when the weather is calm. There’s been a huge amount of work done to try make these power sources work, mainly in the development of batteries to store energy at peak times to even out the peaks and troughs. Batteries at this scale are expensive and bulky, but they are the only solution we currently have until a more reliable source of renewable energy can be exploited.

Reliable renewable power sources would include wave and tidal power, which are usually very predictable and can generate power 100% of the time. However, designing solutions that can operate in the ocean’s hostile environment for decades at a time is not an easy task, and research has been relatively slow to take advantage of this source of power, in comparrison to solar and wind energy. That’s why the news of California Governor, Gavin Newsom’s signing of California Senate Bill 605 (“SB 605”) into law is exciting for the industry.

The new legislation directs the California Energy Commission to evaluate the feasibility of wave and tidal energy in California. The evaluation will include the costs and benefits of implementing the technology across the state’s coastline. The potential for wave and tidal energy is enormous - A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (“NREL”) found that it could generate 30% of America’s energy needs and California’s wave energy potential alone can power approximately 13 million homes.

The new legislation will see the California Energy Commission work with state agencies and stakeholders to identify suitable locations for wave energy and tidal energy projects in both Californian and federal waters.

Congratulating Governor Newsom on the signing of the bill, Inna Braverman Founder & CEO of pioneering wave energy company Eco Wave Power said, “California leads the way on climate initiatives, and SB 605 further demonstrates the state’s leadership across the world. We believe that wave energy has massive potential, and we will soon be demonstrating our pioneering technology at the Port of Los Angeles and showcasing that wave energy can be a significant force in combating climate change and powering our communities with clean, reliable energy.”

AltaSea, a 35 acre ocean technology campus located at the Port of Los Angeles, is the primary sponsor of SB 605. The campus will soon house Eco Wave Power’s first US pilot station – believed to be the first onshore wave energy station in the United States.

The new legislation will require the California Energy Commission to produce a written report by 2025 to the Governor and the Legislature on their findings, including any “considerations that may inform legislative and executive actions to facilitate, encourage, and promote the development and increased use of technologically and economically feasible wave energy and tidal energy technologies, infrastructure, and facilities in the state.”