• Tidal generators produce steady, reliable electricity."You Who Never Arrived" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: lepiaf.geo (Gordana Adamovic-Mladenovic) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

Tidal Energy

• When the tides come in or go out, they're creating mechanical energy in the movement of the water. A tidal generator is simply a machine that harnesses this energy in some way and transforms it into electrical energy. At the moment there are several methods being tested to accomplish this goal.
  
  

Buoys

• One method of harnessing tidal energy is to use buoys. One of the most successful methods at the moment, a generator called the Wavebob, is a fairly simply operation system. A buoy rests on top of the waves and a 30 to 50 foot shaft hangs down from it. As the tides move the shaft, electricity is generated in the buoy. The whole system is tethered to the sea floor to stop the buoy from drifting away.
  
  

Energy Barrages

• A second form of harnessing tidal power is an energy barrage. This machine acts as a sluice gate to catch receding waves. The waves crash over the barrage and when they pull back again, they go through the sluice gate and spin a turbine which creates electricity.
  
  

Watermills

• A third method that's being experimented with is underwater windmills. The blades of these machines catch the current of a river or the pull of the tide in order to generate electrical power. Though they can pose a bit of a risk to life and limb, the area should be marked with "do not enter" signs to prevent swimmers from getting injured by the watermills.
  
  

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Tidal generators are reliable, since the tides go in and out every day. They're also more unobtrusive than wind mills or solar panels usually are. Unfortunately, tidal generators also don't produce as much electricity as other forms of alternative energy, and they take up space that could otherwise be used for recreation in the water.