The bill, introduced by State Senator Padilla on February 15, calls for a comprehensive and collaborative study to “evaluate the feasibility and benefits of using wave energy and tidal energy.” It also requires the state’s Energy Commission to develop a strategic plan for the deployment of wave and tidal energy technologies, infrastructure, and facilities.
SB 605 recognizes the vast benefits that wave energy provides, saying that if developed and deployed at scale, wave and tidal energy “can provide economic and environmental benefits to the state and the nation.” Further, it also notes that ocean energy represents the “third largest source of renewable energy and the largest source of underutilized renewable energy.”
The bill states, “California has set ambitious clean energy targets on the path to carbon neutrality by 2045, but the need for more clean energy is immediate. Wave and tidal energy, or hydrokinetic energy, has the potential to provide that energy in a more expedited fashion as blue economy innovators in California are now looking to bring the technology to scale.”
SB 605 is the second bill introduced focused on exploring wave energy technology introduced in the past year. In March 2022, New Jersey Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak introduced legislation that would require the state of New Jersey to add wave energy to New Jersey’s energy master plan and provide funding for feasibility studies and pilot programs.
The bill is currently in the State Senate Environment & Energy Committee and will be brought before the committee in the coming weeks.
“We are pleased to see that wave energy is gaining momentum in California – one of the foremost world leaders in finding innovative solutions to climate change,” said Eco Wave Power Founder and CEO Inna Braverman.
“According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, wave energy has the potential to provide up to 66% of the United States’ energy needs, and with California’s 840-mile coastline and our upcoming project at AltaSea in the Port of Los Angeles, California is an ideal location to explore this innovative technology.”
Eco Wave Power has been at the forefront of wave energy technology since its founding in 2011, with installations of its innovative technology in Israel, Gibraltar, and soon Los Angeles. The company’s innovative technology converts the motion of ocean and sea waves into clean electricity, providing a reliable and sustainable source of energy.
In January 2023, Eco Wave Power unveiled what is believed to be the first-ever onshore wave energy unit in the United States, at AltaSea’s premises in the Port of Los Angeles. Last year, Eco Wave Power entered into an agreement with AltaSea to implement a first of its kind wave energy pilot at AltaSea’s premises at the Port of Los Angeles.
In just over a year, Eco Wave Power successfully modified, upgraded, and transported the conversion unit to Los Angeles. The project’s timeline showcases another benefit of Eco Wave Power’s patented technology – its ability to be easily transported and replicated to fit the energy needs of a country’s coastline.
“Wave energy provides not only clean energy, but it also creates clean jobs that will stimulate the local economy for years to come,” said Braverman. “We are pleased to see progress and look forward to more states following California and New Jersey’s lead.”
