If passed, a $1 billion marine energy bill in the House of Representatives could bring the industry level with wind and solar power.
According to CleanTechnica, House representatives from California and Oregon introduced the bill, which is called the Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act.
Researchers say that marine energy has advantages over solar and wind power. Unlike solar, which relies on the sun, water is in constant motion worldwide. Wind turbines get pushback because they are visually unappealing, but marine energy sits just above or under the water, so it's hardly noticeable.
A lot of research is being done on how to harness the power of marine energy. For example, a U.S. military facility in Hawaiʻi has a wave energy test site that's been there since 2010. Oregon recently set up an open-water test site.
The Energy Department has also set up testing facilities through the TEAMER initiative, providing education and jobs at the facilities in the program.
There is also research focused on island communities, such as what is being done at the Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan.
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Remote communities aren't always focused on the cheapest forms of energy, but renewable energy like this can benefit these communities because it can be more sustainable and improve life by removing noise and toxic gas pollution.
It can have impacts in other ways, too. For example, when a coal plant was removed in Pittsburgh, a study found that emergency-room visits decreased by 42%.
The Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act will be a big step in funding marine energy and harnessing its potential, but it hasn't passed yet.
Voting for pro-climate change candidates is crucial for getting these bills over the line. You can also talk to your representatives to tell them to support this bill and other ones like it.
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California Representative Nanette Barragán said in a press release: "Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in coastal communities where marine energy resources are abundant and offer tremendous potential to power our communities with clean, renewable energy."
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