I would like to know more of your outlook on tidal energy harvesting.  I live in Gloucester, Massachusetts; where there is a tidal river that runs through the center of town.  We are also america’s oldest seaport with an inescapable gravitation toward the fishing industries.  Clam harvesting along the river banks would be an immediate issue were the topic of tidal energy to arise.  The passage of boats(industrial or recreational) would also, I suppose pose an issue.  A tidal barrage seems too expensive to convince anyone to finance it, with what would most likely be needed.  In regards to the clam harvesting problem, if the tidal barrage could be mobile or a circulatory system with stations spread out and used for extended periods of time at one location in an alternating pattern a mutual point of interest may be met.  Certain clam beds could be closed to regenerate their clam capacity as others are open to harvest.  It is similar to the system currently in place, but with the added benefit of harvesting a renewable energy that defers its own cost.  Hit me up with some more tidal knowledge.

I’m pretty sure were working on that here in oregon (USA)  Im totally stoked about it;  little concerned about fishes getting electrocuted but im sure the developers have our fishy friends in mind

I watched a show about New York putting adapted wind turbines in one of the rivers. They had a lot of trouble with it because the blades were strained, but it was so great to see several businesses signed up before hand to get the energy they produced. I’ve heard about other projects in Europe but it would be cool to get local tidal projects.
I imagine in Gloucester and other fishing towns there would be a lot of concern to address before starting anything. I wonder if it would be possible to put in a system and not have it be in the way of boats.

i remember learning about tidal power in school but it is actually in place anywhere?

Tidal Energy the quick guide:

Three schemes that are proper jobs up and running. They are La Rance in Northern France, Bay of Fundy in Canada and Shiwa Island in Korea, being built by Daewoo and Andritz Hydro of Austria. Lots of testing going on at the moment, notably in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland and Pentland Firth Scotland.

A colleague and I at http://www.nb21c.com are currently promoting a project for tidal energy capture in The Solway Firth on the border of North West England and Scotland. The project seeks to be a balance in environmental terms and to also involve the community in its thinking as a social enterprise opportunity.

The NW of the Irish Sea is one of the great hotspots for tidal energy in the world, thanks to brilliant recent research by Professor Richard Burrows at Liverpool University, UK sponsored by the Joule Centre. My view is the UK should be exploiting these reliable tidal resources in preference to further proliferation of wind farms and too much reliance on Nuclear dependancy. Afterall when did you last see a wave stop coming in?

Feel free to repond or look us up . We will have our Solway Energy Gateway website up shortly.