Senate Bill 650 (SB 650, Padilla, Chapter 405, Statutes of 2023) directs the California Energy Commission (CEC) to evaluate the feasibility, costs, and benefits of using wave energy and tidal energy as forms of clean energy for California. This evaluation is to be included in the CEC’s 2025 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR) in consultation with other appropriate state agencies, including the Ocean Protection Council, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Lands Commission, and the California Coastal Commission.
This consultant report evaluates the required six areas to inform the 2025 IEPR, including the evaluation of factors that may increase the use of wave and tidal energy resources; provide findings on the latest research, technology, and economics of deploying these resources; evaluate transmission, permitting requirements, and workforce development needs; identify near-term actions and investment needs; and identify monitoring strategies to evaluate the impacts of wave and tidal energy resources to marine environments.
