Why look at tidal energy?
Puget Sound is growing, so the power demands associated with growth continue to increase. Despite all the conservation efforts, which are very important, much new generation will be needed to meet demand. Also, in this state there is a renewable portfolio standard that requires utilities such as Snohomish PUD and Puget Sound Energy by the year 2020 to get 15 percent of their energy from renewable resources. This does not include traditional hydropower. Snohomish PUD currently gets about 85 percent of its energy from the federal Columbia River system. Snohomish PUD needs to add about 140 megawatts of new renewable energy, enough to run a city the size of Bellingham. This cannot come from dams; it has to be wind, solar, tidal, geothermal or other renewable sources. Many people ask why not harvest more wind power, but this is problematical because wind is unpredictable and the best sources of wind power are located in central and eastern Washington, far from the Puget Sound population cen
