Energy

Kayla M. Ortiz

GE150

Mr. Nelsen

Tidal Energy

In my town of Fort Myers, Florida we get our energy from a mix of fuels including natural gas (75.5%), nuclear (12.0%), oil (8.7%), coal (3.7%) and solar (0.1%). These are a fuels are a great way to produce energy, but there are better ways out there for example Tidal energy. Tidal energy is produced by tides hitting a dam, and rotating the turbines inside the tunnels of the dam. Now just like any other way of producing energy, there are pros and cons to tidal energy. Starting with the cons, the cost of building a dam is astronomical, making this source of energy economically unfeasible. Also the damn could affect the aquatic ecosystems around it. Since the dam would be very wide, it would alter surrounding streams. Birds rely on low tides to unearth the mud flats to use for feeding areas. Another con to tidal energy is the affect the dam can have on transportation. If cargo ships have to reroute that can cost many people extra money and time. After those cons you would think that tidal energy is not a great source as the one we are already using. This is not true! There are a few pros to tidal energy. Starting with the cost again, after building the dam, its free! Besides the maintenance cost witch are relatively inexpensive. There is no charge in capturing tides. Another pro is that it is renewable; nothing is being consumed by the tides. The pull of the sun and moon generate the tides. Also tidal energy is very reliable; this is because it is simple to track the highs and lows of tides. In my opinion I think the source of energy we already have is working just fine.