OTEC is a capital intensive power technology. There is a large initial capital outlay to build the system. However, much like hydropower (now the cheapest form of electricity on the planet), once the system is built, it has a very long life expectancy (over 30 years with modest maintenance costs) and the “fuel” for the power cycle is free! Hence, the economics and pricing of OTEC power and water are fixed to capital repayment and not to a volatile, finite resource such as oil.