Image courtesy of Tim Marshall on Unsplash
Off the western coast of the United States, in Newport, Oregon, wave power harvesting is becoming a reality. Little did most of us know that for over 15 years, Oregon State University has been working to find the best location for this forward-leaning renewable energy project.
In 2012, after accepting and extensively reviewing community proposals, Oregon State selected Newport in 2013 as the best site for the wave energy test facility. The decision was based on detailed criteria to ensure all concerns were addressed.
This project is benefitting from those who have come before. The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) is based in Scotland, and is a leader in creating a testing facility like the one in Oregon. It will be providing expertise and will be consulting with Oregon State. The US Dept of Energy (DOE) and National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Colorado will guide the project also.
The PacWave project will be in the Pacific Ocean approximately 7 miles offshore. This distance means it will not be visible from land. The site aims to have a maximum power output of 20 megawatts.
Developing new technologies will help displace nonrenewable, fossil fuel-fired sources to provide a diversified energy portfolio of production. Oregon State believes that once the project develops, the capital costs of wave energy will become more competitive with traditional generation sources.
PacWave has been involved in the project for years. Oregon State University will own and operate the test site.
