The earth is the water planet, so it should come naturally that hydroelectricity has been the world’s most popular renewable energy source.  Yet the largest water power source of all — the ocean that covers three-quarters of the planet — has yet to be tapped in any major way for power generation.

A recent Pike Research report reviews the five main types of marine and hydrokinetic technologies:  ocean wave, tidal stream, river hydrokinetic, ocean current and ocean thermal resources.  On the verge of widespread commercialization, with the U.K., U.S., and Canada in the lead, this suite of marine renewable resources is poised for major growth over the next five years, and could collectively capture as much as 10 or even 15 percent of the global electricity market by 2030.  Readers will learn about the market leaders in each marine renewable segment, and the make-or-break issues facing more than 100 companies seeking to gain competitive advantage in the world’s hottest new renewable energy sector.

In addition to analyzing the suitable applications and viability of each of the five technologies, the report examines market conditions for ocean and river hydrokinetic energy around the world, including key drivers of industry development as well as regulatory issues and government incentives and subsidies.  Implementation issues and challenges are also analyzed, including technology standardization issues, site permitting, grid interconnection, and power transmission and distribution issues.  Detailed market forecasts for each of the five technologies are provided for each major region of the world, and key industry players are profiled including an assessment of their relative strengths and weaknesses within the market.

More on this topic:

http://www.pikeresearch.com/research/hydrokinetic-and-ocean-energy

1. Global Renewable energy investments to total USD 7 trillion by 2030; Solar power to reach 1,137 GW by 2030 – Report By Bloomberg New Energy Finance

   BNEF estimates that solar will represent a large portion of renewable energy investments for the next 20 years On November...

2. New Report Shows U.S. Solar Outpaces Global Market: PV Demand Grows 69 Percent Year-Over-Year

   GTM Research and SEIA(R) release latest U.S. Solar Market Insight quarterly report containing Q2 2011 core U.S. solar market data...

3. Global energy storage capacity to reach 12,353 MW in 2021 Says Pike Research

   On November 11th, 2011, Pike Research (Boulder, Colorado, US) released a new report predicting that total energy storage capacity worldwide...

4. Positive Energy: how renewable electricity can transform the UK by 2030

   Positive Energy: how renewable electricity can transform the UK by 2030 Clean energy future can happen- Renewable sources of energy...