A conceptual model for prioritizing dam sites for tidal energy sources

Ocean energy is abundant in China, and the utilization of ocean energy could improve current energy structure and contribute to energy security. If tidal power is harnessed efficiently, it could help China reach its renewable energy goals. A suitable model for solving the multi-criteria decision-making problem is proposed in this paper. The model incorporates the fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) and the fuzzy goal programming (FGP). The FANP can consider various factors, the interrelationships among the factors, and the impreciseness and vagueness of the problem more thoroughly based on expert opinions. The FGP can help select dam sites to maximize the satisfaction of the system when resources are limited. A case study in an east-coast province in China is presented to demonstrate the practicality of the proposed model.