There was an article in Technology Guardian last week about an Irish innovator who was developing a prototype of a wave power generator in the Galway Bay. It captured well the obsessive nature of much innovation. But from a futures perspective the most interesting part of the article was a passing comment by a British scientist on the plan.

Ian Fells, who is Emeritus Professor of Energy Conversion at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, was quoted thus:

“Marine technologies are important but the [UK] government has a blind spot. It seems to have put all its eggs into the wind basket and wind is turning out to be very expensive. Wave power has a very important part to play.”

(And by coincidence, the article appeared on the morning of the day when John Hutton raised the possibility of the Severn Barrage in his Labour party conference speech).