PacWave

If you have ever stood by the ocean and watched waves roll in, curling repeatedly into the sand or sending spray sky-high against a rocky shore, you’ve experienced the seemingly infinite power of the ocean. What if we could harness some of that renewable energy to power our homes and businesses? Diverse energy sources are needed to address issues from community needs for local power to global climate change. Industry is working to develop devices that can harvest energy from waves. PacWave, based at Oregon State University, helps industry test those ideas. PacWave is an open ocean wave energy testing facility consisting of two sites, each located just a few miles from the deep-water port of Newport, Oregon on the ever-energetic Pacific Ocean. Both PacWave sites are highly accessible and served by a diverse maritime supply chain. PacWave is affiliated with the Pacific Marine Energy Center.