Extracting gravitional energy from galactic spin?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

They don't appear to be very effecient or productive compared to the energy which must be out there?

They're not. I don't think they're cost efficient yet.

And, of course, somebody somewhere must have already filed suit to stop them because they might interfere with coral migration or something.

[JimC]

It's the energy gradient that counts if we want to manipulate it to extract useful energy. The total can be huge, but if the gradient is tiny, forget it...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It's the energy gradient that counts if we want to manipulate it to extract useful energy. The total can be huge, but if the gradient is tiny, forget it...

There's a cube/square thing in there somewhere, ain't they?

[Schneibster]

Counter to the "coral migration" argument (it would be baby turtles unable to escape after hatching that would be the problem, or fish (grunion, for a concrete example) feeding in the surf, in reality), there is the argument that wave action causes erosion, forcing slow, progressive evacuation of the scenic seashore not to mention encroaching on valuable coastal habitat, would be reduced by extracting the energy from the waves.

On the "law of unintended consequences" side, besides the baby turtles and feeding grunion, may be the mess it makes when a big storm rips the shit out of the energy rigs.