Known as PacWave, the project is based around two locations: PacWave North, a test-site for small-scale, prototype, and maritime market technologies, and PacWave South, which is under development and has received grants from the Department of Energy and the State of Oregon, among others.
In March, PacWave South which will be located 7 miles offshore in federal waters measuring 70 to 75 meters deep took a significant step forward when it was announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission had granted Oregon State University (OSU) a license to build and operate a test facility at the site.
According to OSU, PacWave South is the first commercial-scale, utility grid-connected test site in the United States to obtain a FERC license and will be the first marine renewable energy research facility in federal waters off the Pacific Coast.
A major new facility in Oregon could help transform the prospects of wave energy oilandgas360.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from oilandgas360.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Is The U.S. Finally Embracing Tidal Energy? By Tsvetana Paraskova - Apr 05, 2021, 12:00 PM CDT
The United States has made the first step toward harnessing the potential of wave energy, a powerful source of renewable energy which researchers have been studying for decades.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued last month a license for what would be the first commercial-scale, utility grid-connected wave energy test site in the United States.
Oregon State University received that license to build and operate the PacWave South testing facility as the industry is developing technology and devices potentially capable of harnessing the power of ocean waves.
Thursday, 11 March 2021 The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has issued Oregon State University a license to build and operate the nation’s first pre-permitted wave energy testing facility, culminating an unprecedented regulatory process that spanned nearly 10 years.
PacWave South is the first commercial-scale, utility grid-connected test site in the United States to obtain a FERC license and will be the first marine renewable energy research facility in federal waters off the Pacific Coast.
The test site, located about seven miles offshore southwest of Newport, Oregon, will offer wave energy developers the opportunity to try different technologies for harnessing the power of ocean waves and transmitting that energy to the local electrical grid.