Proposal to harness wind power off Calif. coast worries fishing industry

Oil companies, some politicians and commuters paying $4 for a gallon of gas might look at California's coast and think of crude oil pooled below the seafloor.

The state's North Coast, however, holds promise of another energy bounty.

In less time than it would take to fire up new offshore oil drills, waters off our coast could host floating wind turbines and undulating buoys driven by waves, producing abundant electricity for a power-thirsty state.

The Electric Power Research Institute estimates enough wave power can be extracted from coastal waters to account for about 15 percent of California's electricity production. Wind could provide up to 110 percent, according to a Stanford University study published last year.

Mendocino coast residents are examining PG&E's plans with cautious optimism.

"Wave energy sounds like a good idea, as long as it doesn't harm the environment," said Bruce Lewis, a nature photographer and volunteer light-keeper at the Point Cabrillo Light Station. "Using the power of the waves seems like a better way of generating power than building oil platforms off the coast."

Others are wary. "When you first hear about it, you think, 'That's a great idea!' " said Jim Martin, director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

He's concerned wave power may interfere with fisheries. He wonders if electrical signatures from the devices also might disturb fish.

His biggest complaint right now, however, is that local fishermen and residents have had no say in the planning.

Martin is also associated with Fishermen Interested in Safe Hydrokinetics, or FISH. With local lawyer Elizabeth Mitchell, FISH is battling for a role in the planning.