How the Bahamas Can Get Electricity from the Ocean

Photo by Paul Bica / flickr creative commons

I write about some pretty out-there ideas for my “Innovate” column in Sierra magazine, but the most latest subject is one that is almost ready for the big time. The technology is ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC. It is the unwieldy, unsexy name for a power source perfectly suited to islands.

I’m proud to have collaborated with Kate Francis at Brown Bird Design on what is probably one of the best drawings ever made of how OTEC works and what its uses could be.

Hawaii has been the site for the most successful tests to date, and the largest version ever is slated for construction in the Bahamas. For more detail on what projects are underway and who’s who in the industry, read the recent post on Forbes.