Institute for Energy Studies Speaker Series: Reducing Fish and Wildlife Impacts

We need to add marine-power production to our alternative-energy portfolio, in the face of climate change and the extractive nature of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Although hydropower dams provide “green” energy, there are major fisheries impacts that might be better served by employing more marine-hydrokinetic (MHK) power, which the Biden administration thought might contribute 20% of future American energy production, when also including inland (river) hydrokinetic (RHK) devices. Together, MHK and RHK devices work underwater, in contrast to offshore windfarms. There are many different types of MHK devices that operate based on tides, waves, offshore-current, or thermal or salinity gradients.