Located seven miles offshore of Newport, Oregon State University’s new wave energy testing facility is nearly complete.
The final steps in the process for the PacWave project will be taken early this August with the installation of underwater power and data cables.
Three vessels will be utilized for the job. If conditions permit, OSU Professor and Chief Scientist for PacWave Burke Hales estimates the work will be finished in about six weeks.
Once completed, the Department of Energy-backed test site will become the first of its kind in the U.S. and is expected to attract energy researchers from across the globe.
“Oregon State university is, certainly, the national leader in wave energy research,” said Hales.
Wave energy is one of the newest renewable energy resources that researchers hope to take advantage of.
The PacWave site will provide scientists with the proper resources to test and develop wave energy devices and will be able to accommodate up to 20 devices at a time.
Hales said the facility has been permitted through multiple state and federal agencies to ensure minimal impacts to the ocean environment.
“We’re very sensitive to making sure that we’re not changing the sound space of the ocean, or doing any sort of disruptive pollutants or disturbance to the sea floor,” he said.
The offshore location was reportedly chosen due to its distance from high-traffic waterways and fishing areas, as well as to not obstruct the open skyline.
Hales said community members are unlikely to see or interact with the facility at all, though some parking areas at the Driftwood Beach State Recreation Site may be affected during the cable installation.
More information about the project and facility can be found at the PacWave website.
