Experimental bathtub: the remote lake island trying wave power to boost energy security
Researchers on Beaver Island, in Lake Michigan, are trying to find a more reliable form of power using local resources Beaver Island sits in the
Researchers on Beaver Island, in Lake Michigan, are trying to find a more reliable form of power using local resources Beaver Island sits in the middle of the northernmost end of Lake Michigan, about 70 miles from the maritime border with Canada.
The forested island, just a little bigger than San Francisco in size, is a popular summer destination for tourists and home to about 600 permanent residents. Getting there requires a boat or plane ride.
Getting electricity to the island is not as easy. Power comes from mainland Michigan through cables that cross roughly 30 miles of lake bed. Outages are common during extreme weather, or when there are problems with the sensitive wires.
The devastating ice storm that walloped the state last year knocked out power to the island for weeks. Continue reading...
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