MIT Energy Club Bringing together the energy technology, policy, and business communities at MIT for fact-based analysis and education

Discussion Series

Overview

The ocean is a source of two significant sustainable forms of energy: thermal energy associated with the sun's heat absorbed by the ocean, and mechanical energy associated with the waves, currents and tides. Many of the steady ocean currents are highly energetic and provide tremendous potential for electric power generation - some are five times as energy-dense as the world's best wind power-generating sites. Currently, ocean energy is undeveloped compared to other conventional and renewable energy technologies. In addition, commercial ocean energy harvesting systems do not exist today. Although many single technology-centric efforts are underway around the world, there is no unifying infrastructure in the United States or abroad to support wider, multi-resource and multi-technology development.

Florida Atlantic University's Center for Ocean Energy Technology is a synergistic partnership among academia, industry and government laboratories combining expertise in ocean engineering and science, fabrication and testing, utilizing the South Florida Testing Facility range to foster and propel the research, design, development, implementation, testing, and commercialization of cutting-edge ocean energy technologies that are cost-competitive with existing fossil-fuel-based power generation. Areas of focus include ocean current and thermal systems, cold, deep ocean water-based air-conditioning, underwater hydrogen generation and storage, and environmental impact and mitigation.