Ocean + Magnetism = Electricity
All you need is a couple of hundred Permanent Magnet Linear Generator Buoys bobbing up and down out there in ocean and you can generate enough electricity to power a city.
As the above diagram clearly reveals, an electric coil surrounds a magnetic shaft inside a buoy. The coil moves up and down with the waves around a magnetic shaft anchored to the seafloor. This induces voltage and generates electricity.
The technology is 15-20 years behind wind energy, but is a promising, clean energy source that's more predictable, available and energy-dense than the wind.
The research behind this is led by Annette von Jouanne and Alan Wallace, engineers at Oregon State University.
Find out more here.