The first fully operational, pre-permitted and grid-connected wave energy test facility in the continental U.S. has opened for business.
Officially opened on August 27, PacWave South is located off the coast of Newport, Oregon, and has been developed through the collaboration of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O), Oregon State University (OSU) as the facility’s operator, and other partners.
Due to its pre-permitted status, it allows wave energy developers to test devices without regulatory delays that can add to testing budgets and timelines. Facility operators have already begun to work with marine energy developers in preparation for the inaugural tests.
“Our oceans offer a largely untapped resource of abundant, affordable power,” said Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O) Director Nichole Fitzgerald. “The PacWave South facility will help reduce testing barriers for wave energy developers and spur innovation to America’s benefit for years to come.”
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the facility in 2025 to offtake the power generated from the wave energy devices undergoing testing. The Central Lincoln People’s Utility District, located within BPA’s transmission area, will distribute the power to local homes and businesses as soon as tests begin.
PacWave South, situated about seven miles off the coast, is made up of four undersea cables that will transport the power generated to a facility in Newport for regulation, with that power then to feed into the local power grid.
“PacWave’s ribbon cutting marks more than 15 years of relentless innovation and partnership to advance wave energy. By building a pre-permitted, state-of-the-art facility, we’ve lowered the barrier to entry for developers to test and prove their technologies in a highly energetic, open-ocean environment. We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone alongside our partners and look forward to seeing the first round of devices generating power off the Oregon coast,” said Matt Sanders, Commercial Manager at PacWave.
According to the U.S. DOE, the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) holds an estimated 1,400 TWh per year of realistically capturable wave power. This technical potential is equivalent to supplying 34% of total U.S. electricity generation, enough to power approximately 130 million homes with clean, sovereign and predictable energy.
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