OTEC, or ocean thermal energy conversion, is an energy knowledge that changes solar radiation into electric power. OTEC systems use the ocean's natural thermal gradient—the information that the ocean's layers of water have unlike temperatures—to drive a power-producing cycle. As long as the temperature between the warm surface water and the cold deep water differs by about 20°C (36°F), an OTEC system can produce a significant amount of power. The oceans are thus an enormous renewable resource, with the potential to help us generate billions of watts of electric power. This potential is predictable to be about 1013 watts of base load power generation, according to some experts. The cold, deep seawater used in the OTEC process is also rich in nutrients, and it can be used to culture both marine organisms and plant life near the shore or on land.
The economics of energy production today have delayed the financing of a lasting, continuously operating OTEC plant. However, OTEC is very hopeful as an alternative energy resource for tropical island communities that depend heavily on imported fuel. OTEC plants in these markets could provide islanders with much-needed power, as well as desalinated water and a variety of mariculture products.
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