What is Tidal Energy

Tidal energy uses the natural ebb and flow of coastal tidal waters. Coastal water levels change twice a day, filling and emptying natural basins along the shoreline. The currents flowing in and out of these basins can turn mechanical devices to produce electricity. One kind of tidal energy can be harnessed by tidal stream (or marine current) technology. Tidal streams are fast sea currents created by the tides, often increased by features such as headlands, inlets and straits or by the shape of the seabed when water is forced through narrow channels.