Wave Rider

Harnessing the power of water could save our environment.

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Catching waves isn't just for beach bums anymore. The CEO of Ocean Power Technologies (OPT), George Taylor, is convinced that ocean waves will be the future of renewable energy.

A high-tech electrical engineer, Taylor started OPT and developed the PowerBuoy system. Taylor's PowerBuoy harnesses the up-and-down motion of the sea to create energy, which is then fed into a cable that brings the power to shore. Recently OPT has built a wave power station in Hawaii for the U.S. Navy. And in the near future, Taylor sees wave energy being used to produce all the hydrogen needed for a future full of fuel-cell cars. Wave energy plugs right into the current power grid and has Taylor convinced that it will be competitive with fossil fuels within a mere three to five years. With power like that, we may never look at surfing the same way again!
From Reader's Digest - October 2006
 
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