Bay Area Eyes Sea Change

If an experimental system becomes a reality, residents of San Francisco might soon need scuba gear to watch their city's source of electric power in action.

West-coast utility company PG&E(PCG Quote), along with Oceana Energy Company and the city of San Francisco, is currently conducting a study to see if the Bay Area's notoriously strong tidal currents can be harnessed to generate energy.

The technology for the project is being developed by Oceana and the U.S. Navy. Although the specifications are protected by a confidentiality agreement, it is likely to involve a system that uses what's known as hydrokinetic energy. ...