California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the California Senate Bill 605 (SB 605) into law.
The legislation allows the California Energy Commission (CEC) to evaluate the feasibility of wave and tidal energy in California, including the costs and benefits of implementing technology across the state’s coastline. The CEC will also work with state agencies and stakeholders to identify potential locations for wave and tidal energy projects in California and federal waters.
"Ocean energy is one of the largest untapped sources of renewable energy, and California is now well-positioned to harness that energy and accelerate our transition to 100% clean energy while creating high-paying jobs,” said Senator Steve Padilla, who introduced and authored SB 605.
The announcement comes shortly after California’s State Legislature set a target to have a 100% renewable and zero-carbon grid by 2045. As of 2022, net zero carbon and renewable energy accounted for more than 54% of California’s total energy supply.
A National Renewable Energy Laboratory study found that wave and tidal energy has the potential to generate 30% of America’s energy needs, and California’s wave energy potential could power approximately 13 million homes.
The CEC is required to produce a written report by 2025 on their feasibility findings, including any “considerations that may inform legislative and executive actions to facilitate, encourage, and promote the development and increased use of technologically and economically feasible wave energy and tidal energy technologies, infrastructure, and facilities in the state."
AltaSea and Eco Wave Power have both publicly supported the legislation, and AltaSea’s 35-acre ocean technology campus at the Port of Los Angeles will soon house Eco Wave Power’s first US pilot station, one of the first onshore wave energy stations in the U.S.
"We are grateful that Governor Newsom recognized the vast potential of wave and tidal energy in meeting California's goals for renewable energy and promoting economic growth through the blue economy," said Terry Tamminen, President and CEO of AltaSea. "We are incredibly proud to have sponsored this landmark legislation, and we look forward to working with the California Energy Commission and our partners to showcase the viability of wave energy."
