Concept in Ocean Wave Energy

Here’s a video on a device on the Brazilian coast that extracts the kinetic energy from ocean waves and converts it to electricity.

As I watched, I was reminded of the numerous drawbacks to this and all similar approaches:  the massive capital coast of such a huge mechanism, the complexity of the process leading to the many places at which energy is lost along the way, higher-than-average energy transmission costs, and what is, I’m sure, astronomically large maintenance costs, as the moving parts of the device must be constantly failing.

The video closes, “It is expected that wave energy will supply 20% of the country’s energy by 2050.”  Notice the use of the passive voice here, so as not to disclose what in grammar is called the “agent.” Exactly who expects this?  Certainly not I.

While I’m sure there are places on Earth where this could possibly make sense, they are rare indeed, and Brazil is clearly not among them.