ABSTRACT
As oil and gas become increasingly difficult to recover, as geopolitics complicate the access to both the resources and the markets for such energy products, and as existing supplies in accessible areas diminish, interest in renewables is on the increase. Ocean renewables support energy independence by utilizing an abundant domestic resource for electricity generation while creating jobs, supporting economic development, and diversifying the electric generating portfolio. Attempts have been made to harness the enormous energy potential of moving ocean water for decades. Oceanic wind is a preferred alternative to other forms of energy generation in areas where land is in short supply, and where coastal winds are sustained and strong. Ocean thermal energy conversion also has spin-off benefits, including air conditioning, chilled-soil agriculture, aquaculture, and desalination. Salinity gradient or osmotic power is generated by the difference in the salt concentration between seawater and river water that exists in estuaries around the world.
