Department of Energy Awards $25 Million to Oregon State University Facility for Wave Energy Testing

The Department of Energy has granted $25 million to eight organizations for testing wave energy technologies at Oregon State University’s PacWave South facility. Located about seven miles off the central Oregon coast near Newport, PacWave South is under construction and is expected to be the first commercial-scale, grid-connected wave energy test site in the U.S. Operational in 2023, grid-connected testing will start the following year.

The funded projects aim to develop wave energy converter designs for use in remote areas or on small grids, designs that can connect or disconnect from the grid, and research on environmental monitoring, instrumentation systems, and other technologies.

Among the funding recipients, Portland State University received $4.5 million. The projects will play a crucial role in combating the climate crisis and contribute to a clean energy future. PacWave South, a result of the Department of Energy and Oregon State partnership since 2016, focuses on exploring carbon-free wave energy generated by wind over the sea’s surface.

U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici praised the $25 million federal investment, emphasizing PacWave’s role in advancing wave energy. Other funding recipients include the University of Washington, CalWave Power Technologies Inc., Columbia Power Technologies Inc., Dehlsen Associates, LLC, Oscilla Power Inc., Integral Consulting, and Littoral Power Systems, Inc.

Tuba Ozkan-Haller, acting dean and professor at OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, highlighted the industry’s progress, and full-scale testing at PacWave is expected to accelerate the development of efficient wave energy conversion devices with minimal environmental impacts.