PacWave, located off the Oregon coast, opened Aug. 27 as the nation's first grid-connected, internationally accredited open-ocean wave energy test facility. The site is designed as a pre-permitted proving ground for commercial-scale wave energy converters, giving developers a place to test full-scale devices in real ocean conditions.
The facility's grid connection is a central feature: wave energy devices can be evaluated while actually transmitting power to shore. That connects marine energy development to the larger electricity system rather than leaving it isolated in research settings.
NLR and partners unveiled the facility, which they described as 'a giant leap for marine energy.' With the opening, the US now has a dedicated, accredited site for advancing wave energy from prototypes toward commercial deployment.