The U.S. Navy wants to find out if tides are a viable source of future energy.  There are expecting to conduct a 1-year pilot project off the eastern side of Marrowstone Island, southeast of Port Townsend, in Admiralty Inlet in 2010. 

"The purpose of the $2 million project is to help determine the usefulness of tidal power in the future", Naval spokeswoman Sheila Murray said in an article in the Everett Herald.

She added that the Navy's focus will be to demonstrate the technology and determine whether or not it will work.  They will put between two and six turbines up as part of the project, powering the lights for a parking lot or building or two at the Navy's ammunition depot on Indian Island, next to Marrowstone Island. 

"Congress, in the National Defense Act of 2007, directed the Defense Department, including the Navy, to generate 25 percent of the power it uses from renewable sources by 2025."  The Navy is studying other renewable power sources as well, including wind, biofuels, ocean thermal energy conversion and solar power.

The Snohomish County PUD also is expecting to conduct their own tidal energy project in the same area, probably off Admiralty Head, north of Marrowstone Island.  Their test project will "begin with three turbines that would generate one megawatt of energy, enough to power about 700 homes. The utility could eventually have hundreds of turbines in the water, generating enough electricity for 70,000 homes.

The utility has spent about $1million over the last year doing research and development, about half of which comes from a grant from the Department of Energy.   

Both projects will start up near the same time and the two agencies are likely to collaborate on some of the research, preparation and engineering to save money.