Tide Mill Institute event a success

I was very pleased to attend this past weekend's Tide Mill Institute conference. The Tide Mill Institute describes its mission as "to advance the appreciation of tide mill history and technology by encouraging research, by promoting appropriate re-uses of former tide mill sites and by fostering communication among tide mill enthusiasts." Here's a link to the conference website: http://www.tidemillinstitute.org/23.html My presentation compared tidal power projects past and present, looking at project economics, law and regulation. Interesting, many of the judicial opinions about tide mills from centuries past address concerns still expressed about tidal power projects. How will a given project affect water quality? Neighboring property? Fisheries and navigation on? Long before regulatory agencies or specific environmental statutes, tide mills effectively faced regulation in the form of court orders over lawsuits. Today, a host of agencies has regulatory authority over the development and operation of tide mills and tidal electric generation. It was great to meet so man people interested in the past, present and future of tidal energy.