A Coast Guard station in Maine has become the first federal facility to use tidal power as an energy source.

A barge harnesses energy as tidal waters stream in and out of the bay. The manufacturer says the generators can get sixty kilowatts of power.

Eventually, the State of Maine hopes generators in bays can power homes along the coast.

Chris Saeur, CEO of Ocean Renewable Power says "I guess, at heart, we're all kind of environmentalists, so there's a certain side of this that just feels like this is a good thing to do."

Right now, the generators are only powering the Coast Guard station, but Ocean Renewable Energy hopes to start sending power into Maine’s electric grid next year.