Some New Jersey lawmakers want to harness the
power of the ocean’s waves to create a new source
of clean electricity, and several companies say
they are eager to build projects there.
Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak plans to
introduce legislation soon that would add wave
energy to New Jersey’s energy master plan. The
practical effect of doing so would be to open up
funding sources for wave energy projects.
The state also could offer financial incentives to
private companies who build so-called wave
farms off the state’s shoreline.
“This is the future,” said Karabinchak, during which
companies and an environmentalist extolled
the untapped benefits of wave energy as a
complement to wind and solar power as the state
moves toward its goal of having all its energy
come from clean sources.
“We all know it’s in its infancy, but it’s evolving so
quickly,” said Karabinchak, a Middlesex County
Democrat. “I don’t want to miss out on the
opportunity New Jersey has.”
Wave energy involves capturing the kinetic energy
of waves — energy created by motion — as they
affect a solid object such as a buoy or floating
plate. There are several types of technology used
in the industry, and equipment can be used both
near shore and in deeper water.
Among benefits cited by supporters are the lack
of any greenhouse gas emissions and the fact
that, unlike solar or wind projects, whose output is
erratic, wave farms would produce power around
the clock.
But important questions remain, including the
technology’s long-term affordability, increasing