Abstract
Ocean energy harnessing, whether the source is tides, temperatures difference, waves, winds, or any other, has been and remains controversial; in fact, it has been vocally endorsed, and as loudly opposed. With the cost of conventional and nuclear plants rapidly rising, with serious reservations about the safety of the latter and unanswered questions pertaining to wastes disposal, the ocean energy alternative becomes more attractive and more realistic. While ocean energy may not "displace oil" on its own, its contribution to the world's power needs, may ultimately prove to be far from negligible, and a serious economic help to capital-poor, labor-intensive, distant sites in less developed countries.