Eastport - Folks gathered in Eastport Tuesday to celebrate the first ever successful
implementation of tidal energy at a federal facility.

As Meghan Hayward tells us, it's what many see as the future of Maine.

" We are finally going to be able to use the tidal power for the
first federal facility and in this case its going to be our Coast Guard
station here in Eastport."

The 60 kilowatt tidal turbine was launched in March for testing. It's the largest ocean tidal energy generator in the United States.

" It's kind of being described as the Kitty Hawk of tidal energy."

" I think it speaks volumes for the state of Maine. As a matter of
fact, we have people here from Alaska that are interested in what we're
doing. Hopefully we can partner with them."

Since 2007, we're told the partnership between the Northern Sector of the
Coast Guard and the Ocean Renewable Power Company has brought 80 jobs to
eight different counties in Maine.

The turbine generator is set in a steel composite frame and is deployed in
Cobscook Bay. The unit uses advanced design cross flow turbines to drive the generator and the electricity produced will charge a set of battery modules.

" This shows us today that we're using an environment tidal power to
break our dependency on oil. Makes perfect sense to us."

" So we're going out on the water today and these are Maine waters,
Maine jobs and Maine resources."

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