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Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

This should definitely be in the mix as one of the well-thought-out responses. The most impressive example, albeit focused mainly on power production is the Swansea Blue Lagoon scheme - http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/projects/swansea-bay

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

I would think that experts in that type of power-generating technology (using tides to generate power) would have well-established guidelines regarding suitability and applicability.  For example, in many areas, I would think that the tidal water surface elevation difference might not be sufficient to generate sufficient benefits to offset the costs of ecological and navigational disruptions. 

This should definitely be in the mix as one of the well-thought-out responses. The most impressive example, albeit focused mainly on power production is the Swansea Blue Lagoon scheme - http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/projects/swansea-bay

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

I would think that experts in that type of power-generating technology (using tides to generate power) would have well-established guidelines regarding suitability and applicability.  For example, in many areas, I would think that the tidal water surface elevation difference might not be sufficient to generate sufficient benefits to offset the costs of ecological and navigational disruptions. 

This should definitely be in the mix as one of the well-thought-out responses. The most impressive example, albeit focused mainly on power production is the Swansea Blue Lagoon scheme - http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/projects/swansea-bay

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

This should definitely be in the mix as one of the well-thought-out responses. The most impressive example, albeit focused mainly on power production is the Swansea Blue Lagoon scheme - http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/projects/swansea-bay

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

We need to be innovative and design for systems, but we alway need to be careful about the date of references on the web for examples of new tech.  Unfortunately, this Swansea project has posted nothing since 2020, so the local politics (as mentioned in other comments) may have played a part in scuttling it.  The nearly 10 km2 area and volume of the lagoon may have taken too much territory.  Combining it with fresh water flood control could provide another value stream.

If a manufacturer was planning a low head (10 meters?) saltwater turbine when the project was proposed more than a decade ago, that may never have made it to market (or been proven infeasible for corrosion or demand volume)

This should definitely be in the mix as one of the well-thought-out responses. The most impressive example, albeit focused mainly on power production is the Swansea Blue Lagoon scheme - http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/projects/swansea-bay

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

I'm actually working on resilient design in Miami and am the engineer of record for the premiere park sea level rise retrofit for City of Miami. I've been involved with the planning for the USACE $6 Billion "Back Bay Plan" which originally envisioned a 20-ft wall to protect Miami from storm surge, but neglected to factor in precipitation or the environment so it was sent back to the drawing board by the Public.  We have to factor in the environmental costs and build this into our projects at the forefront (Day Zero). We cannot pay Peter and rob Paul, that is not how this next century will work. I see a lot of engineers thinking in silos, and I want to encourage dropping these false boundaries and collaborating across the board with other disciplines, including architects, scientists, university collaborations, and also folks with detailed historical, geologic, and local expertise in these areas. Including hydrology and hydraulics. The cities you list are ALREADY experiencing this chronic flooding very often, daily in some cases. Three weeks ago, Fort Lauderdale (20 miles from Miami) received 24-28 inches, what is being called the 1,000 year storm by the weather channel etc - and it really disrupted the South Florida fuel supply from Port Everglades, ruined Houses and Businesses (including our office), severed communities and left residents stranded in floating cars. The flooding you speak of is HERE, and it will take "death by 1,000 cuts" type approach to prepare our cities and communities for day-to-day life now and in the future. I'd love to hear more about innovative solutions you describe, but please consider the environment as your #1 shareholder/client. 

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

I see tidal barrages as tool in the tool kit but not a panacea.  As a renewable power source, tidal power per unit of energy is far more expensive than wind or solar, so it's still a niche technology at best. See link. There's a also the issue of political and societal will for projects of scale that will mitigate the effects of sea level rise on our coastal communities. The lack of will, or consensus that we have a looming problem, will prevent the long-term planning and preparation needed for projects that could conceptually combine mitigation with energy generation. 

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?

Projected levels of sea level rise will put New York, Miami, Boston, and dozens of other population centers at risk of chronic flooding (link) in the next few decades. Tidal barrages could offer protection from flooding and also produce renewable energy in some locations, albeit with environmental costs. Are we be planning for such structures now? Should we be?