A New Wave in Hydropower will Provide a Renewable Energy Advantage for California

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 14, 2006 -- While Royal Dutch, Exxon and BP search for energy in exotic places like the Sudan, Peru, Syria, Indonesia, Gabon, Tunisia and Ecuador; Bourne Energy, a California based energy company, is looking only a few miles off the coast of California for large energy fields. And they don't need drilling rigs, pipelines, tanker fleets, refineries or generator plants to harness the power.

The 3,000-mile coastline from California to Alaska contains enormous amounts of wave and tidal power which are almost entirely undeveloped. California's ocean energy densities alone range up to 65 kW/frontal foot of wave energy. Waves -- their power is unfathomable: trillions of cubic feet of water traveling at three feet per second, unhindered for days across thousands of miles of open sea before crashing to shore. Because wave energy is highly concentrated wind energy, and because water density is much higher than that of air, the available energy from ocean waves is known to be many times greater than that of wind. Along the California coast, yearly averages show wave power as having a 17 times advantage in available energy per square meter. The result is a perfect energy source -- silent, hidden, clean, locally controlled and cost competitive.

Bourne Energy, a Los Angeles based renewable energy company, has developed OceanStar, TidalStar and RiverStar hydropower systems to open up these vast untapped renewable resources. The company's hydropower systems have no need for dams or reservoirs and come with no emissions, noise or visual impact. Power from ocean, tidal and river sources can be produced near the state's largest energy consuming regions. And unlike large dam projects, Bourne's river power system does not need large structures or reservoirs which have major social and ecological impacts and lose power over time due to sedimentation.

OceanStar is a submerged ocean power harvester that interconnects to form mile-long underwater energy capture arrays situated a few miles offshore. TidalStar is a submerged tidal power harvester which interconnects to form long tidal fence arrays. RiverStar is an in-river, dam-free river power harvester. Each of these hydropower systems utilizes modular components making them highly adaptable to specific sites. All three have a number of novel technologies incorporated into the energy absorber, energy transmission, control and mooring systems. Bourne's OceanStar, TidalStar and RiverStar series are capable of producing electricity, clean water and hydrogen while the OceanStar also mediates the risks to coastlines and breakwaters from the ravages of storms as well as serves as a security barrier.

Over the next 24 months Bourne plans to build full-scale prototypes of each technology which will be used as demonstrators. Bourne plans to promote the establishment of utility scale ocean, tidal and river power systems globally by setting up subsidiaries in Asia, Europe and South America to mass-produce the units. Bourne plans to partner with major manufacturers to fabricate key parts; and hydropower service companies to install the systems.

California is destined to lead the world toward energy self-reliance due to its enormous renewable energy assets. In an energy hungry world where every drop of crude that can be pumped out of the ground is being sought out and extracted, California will be able to increase its energy use without importing more oil. As worldwide energy demand keeps rising, the cost of crude oil extraction increases and energy security problems continue, and California will gain an ever-widening advantage for its economy, the health of its citizens and overall regional security.

About Bourne Energy:
Bourne Energy, established this year, is a Los Angeles based renewable energy research and development company. Its goal is to re-energize the world with better alternatives to crude oil -- no oil spills, no oil shortages, no smog, no global warming, no nukes and no energy blackouts; and still retain high energy comforts while extending them to billions of people in the world currently without power. Management's combined experience includes experts in marine, advanced materials, electronic components, defense and automotive product development, advanced manufacturing systems and industrial design.

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