Neath Port Talbot Council Cabinet member Peter Rees is also Vice Chair of Swansea Bay Racial Equality Council.
Now Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay believes it can bring the project to reality.
Swansea Bay in Wales and Aberdeen and Dundee in Scotland are also competing.
In May last year, Swansea council said activity on its Visit Swansea Bay website was up 44% on the previous year.
Meanwhile, plans to create a tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay capable of producing energy for more than 10, 000 homes are progressing.
BBC: NEWS | UK | Wales | South West Wales | Wave power plan for Welsh coast
And there's Swansea Bay, which is Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend.
They also criticised a perceived failure to encourage tidal projects such as those proposed for Swansea Bay, Kinmel Bay in north Wales and the Severn.
The others are Aberdeen, Chester, Dundee, Hastings and Bexhill on Sea, Hull, Leicester, Plymouth, Southend on Sea, Swansea Bay and a joint application from Portsmouth and Southampton.
Plans for tidal power in Swansea Bay were first mooted in 2003 when a charity wanted to harness the tides to provide electricity for up to 10, 000 homes.
Historian Peter Stead, who is a retired Swansea University lecturer and was on the panel which chose Liverpool as City of Culture, said he was excited by Swansea Bay's bid.
"Huge congratulations to Swansea's Rhossili Bay for beating many of the most exotic beaches across the globe, " she added.
Uefa rules stopped Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham, plus Colwyn Bay, Merthyr and Newport, from using Welsh competitions to reach Europe when they continued in the English League rather than join the League of Wales when it was established.
"Swansea's biggest asset is the beautiful bay and the view of Mumbles and I don't know why we haven't got any more places like this along the front, " he added.
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