Renewable Energy from the Ocean
Vocabulary: renewable energy, radiant energy, fossil fuel, nuclear fuel, turbine, offshore
wind power system, megawatt, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
Pre-reading Questions:
1. What are the problems with our current sources of electricity?
2. What are some resources we take from the ocean that you know of?
Post Reading Questions:
Energy Resources
1. What is the source of all the ocean’s energy? (Besides tidal power)
2. What are some advantages of renewable energy from the ocean?
Power from Offshore Winds
3. What drives the Earth’s winds?
4. Explain how an offshore wind power system works.
Power from Currents
5. Why do ocean currents carry more energy than wind?
6. How many people’s home electrical needs could the Florida-Gulf Stream satisfy
if harnessed for electricity (Hint-It could supply 2000 megawatts and each
megawatt is enough for 800 average homes)?
7. What is one problem involved with harnessing power from currents?
Power from Waves
8. What are two major problems in harnessing power from waves?
9. At headlands, where waves refract, wave power plants could
extract______________megawatts of power per km. This is equal to _________
homes electricity (Hint-2000 megawatts is enough for 800 average homes).
10. Describe how the first commercial wave power plant works.
Power from Tides
11. How long has tidal power been used? What was early tidal power used for?
12. Describe the operating costs of a tidal plant costs of a tidal plant compared to a
thermal plant.
13. Describe how the tidal plant in Northern France works.
Power from Thermal Energy
14. What is the energy potential of the thermal energy compared to other renewables.
15. Exlplain how an OTEC system works.
16. What can an OTEC system be used for besides power?