Oregon taps wave energy for power grid

Environment Updates

Subsea cables will transmit energy from the wave energy devices

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 16 January, 2013 : - - Newport, Oregon -- The nation’s first utility-scale, grid-connected wave energy test facility will be located at Newport on the Oregon coast. The new facility, called the Pacific Marine Energy Center, will test energy generation potential and the environmental impacts of wave energy devices, at an ocean site about five miles from shore.

Subsea cables will transmit energy from the wave energy devices to the local power grid, and data to scientists and engineers at on-shore facilities. The Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, NNMREC, based at Oregon State University, announced the selection of Newport on Monday.

In an extensive site selection process, NNMREC worked with four coastal communities to consider both technical criteria and community resources. The options were narrowed last fall to Reedsport and Newport. Site selection teams from those communities submitted proposals in December.

Belinda Batten, director of NNMREC, said the communities were similar in their capacities and capabilities, and the final choice focused on making PMEC a global competitor among international test facilities.

The selection was based on ocean site characteristics, marine and on-shore cable routes, port and industry capabilities, impacts to existing ocean users, permitting challenges, stakeholder participation in the proposal process, and support of the local fishing communities.

One of the first public wave energy testing systems in the United States has already begun operation near Newport.

Read the full article at Environment News Service

Source: ENS

Author: The Editors

Tags: Wave Energy, Orgeon, Pacific Marine Energy Center

Environment: Surfersvillage