Tidal energy is coming, once hurdles vanish

The tide-based currents in the Swinomish Channel may offer a local source of reliable, predictable renewable energy. Several people have asked me whether this natural resource could be developed to power greater La Conner, including Shelter Bay and Swinomish Village.

A tidal energy system must be durable, reliable and capable of being installed and maintained cost-effectively in salt water. Doing all this has been challenging, so the engineering needed to extract energy from tidal currents hasn’t been sufficiently proven to make tidal energy commercially viable on a large scale. For now, tidal...