Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association

The Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association (AWATEA) is a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

organisation established in 2006 to promote renewable energy

Renewable energy

Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...

from marine sources. This includes energy from tides

Tidal power

Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into useful forms of power - mainly electricity....

, waves

Wave power

Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work — for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water...

and ocean currents

Marine current power

Marine current power is a form of marine energy obtained from harnessing of the kinetic energy of marine currents, such as the Gulf stream. Although not widely used at present, marine current power has an important potential for future electricity generation...

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Organisations involved in New Zealand include Genesis Energy, Meridian Energy

Meridian Energy

Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand state-owned electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with...

and Crest Energy. Several projects are being developed, including Kaipara Tidal Power Station

Kaipara Tidal Power Station

The Kaipara tidal power station is a proposed tidal power project to be located in the Kaipara Harbour. The project is being developed by Crest Energy, with an ultimate size of 200MW at a cost of $700 million....

and another in Cook Strait

Cook Strait

Cook Strait is the strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand. It connects the Tasman Sea on the west with the South Pacific Ocean on the east....

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Speaking at the 2007 conference, Jeanette Fitzsimons

Jeanette Fitzsimons

Jeanette Mary Fitzsimons, CNZM is a New Zealand politician and environmentalist. She was the co-leader of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand from 1995 to 2009, and was a Member of Parliament from 1996 to 2010.-Career:...

, then NZ Government spokesperson for Energy Efficiency stated that: "I remain very positive, and excited, at the prospects for marine energy in NZ. It is a perfect fit with our history as a maritime nation; the NZ love of the sea and sea going craft; the goals of the NZ Energy Strategy to get as close to 100% renewable electricity as we can; and to the Prime Minister’s aspirational goal to be carbon neutral and truly sustainable."

See also