Global climate change has become a catalyst for the social and political demand for sustainable energy sources. This combined with the high cost of extending electricity grids to rural areas and the decreasing price of stand-alone power systems is a significant incentive to the rise of locally generated energy. The Blue Energy Ocean Turbine enables communities, large and small, to generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases of any kind or impacting the local marine environment. Unlike conventional barrage systems, the Blue Energy Ocean Turbine relies on ocean currents rather than tidal amplitude to generate electricity. The array of slow moving turbines allows water and fish to flow freely and safely through the structure. Larger marine mammals will be prevented from contact with the rotary foils by a protective fence, and further protected by a backup auto-breaking system controlled by sonar sensors.

For a large proportion of the world burning coal is the most common means of generating electricity.  Fossil fuels like coal contain a tremendous amount of energy per pound, but that does not mean that their overall system impact density is low. Everyone is aware that burning coal is detrimental to public health and the planet’s atmosphere, yet this cost is largely ignored by the market pricing system.  The extent of physical impact is less widely recognized.  In point of fact, more land is currently used in the US to produce electricity from coal than would be necessary to generate the same amount of power from solar panels.

In order to meet the emissions reductions targets outlined in the Kyoto Protocol, various emissions trading solutions are being put forward by various nations, as outlined under article 12 in the Kyoto Protocol, “certified emissions reductions”. These market-based solutions would allow for a trading mechanism whereby over-polluters may purchase “offset credits” from under-polluters or non-polluters. Blue Energy’s proposed Dalupiri project in the Philippines, for example, would offset 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, producing approximately 2 million Certified Emissions Reductions.