La Rance

By Riley Ruse
Wind power, nuclear power, water power and hydrogen power are alternative energy sources we all have heard about. But scientists and engineers in France have found an interesting fuel source unlike any other. On the Rance River estuary a hydroelectric dam has been built, but instead of running like a conventional hydroelectric dam, it uses the tide. On high tide, the water surges inward through the dam, and just before low tide, they close the gates trapping the tidal waters inside. As the ocean pulls back, they open a small gap allowing the tidal water to flow through the hole and back to the ocean. There are hydroelectric generators inside the hole that catch the power of the water flowing into the ocean.