I first encountered Alaska's tidal currents as a fishing deckhand in the summer of 2010. The power in the water amazed me. I knew that this predictable source of energy could be used to reduce mankind's reliance on fossil fuels. Since that summer, I have dedicated my life to making tidal energy accessible. Tidal energy was my motivation to pursue mechanical engineering, wind turbine maintenance, and shipyard work. Through these endeavors, I invented a new, low-cost, low-maintenance approach to tidal energy that will replace diesel generators in remote coastal regions of the world.