Ocean Power Technologies Inc (OPTT)

[XenaLives]

Will this have an impact on use of OPTT tech?

The Trump administration ended with a series of last-minute environmental rollbacks. But the day before President Joe Biden’s inauguration, Trump’s Department of the Interior also, bizarrely, snuck in what could be a big win for renewable energy.

On Monday, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Management finalized a lease for Oregon State University’s PacWave South center to deploy technologies to generate energy from ocean waves. It’s the agency’s first-ever lease for a wave energy project.

“We expected we’d have to wait until the Biden administration came in to see this lease,” Burke Hales, a professor at Oregon State University and chief scientist at PacWave, said. “It was, I can say, a surprise.”

The lease covers some 4,270 acres located roughly seven miles (11.3 kilometers) off the coast of Newport, Oregon. The wave energy project sited there will include four mooring berths, each with its own underwater cable running to the shore and connected to the grid. The project is still awaiting final permits from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which are expected in a few weeks.

At maximum capacity, the project could generate 20 megawatts of power—enough to power 20,000 houses—though Hales said it’s more likely to only reach one tenth of that potential. But more importantly, the project will allow researchers to look into the viability of expanding the use of the technology in the future.

https://earther.gizmodo.com/the-u-s-approves-permit-for-the-proving-ground-for-the-1846102172

Connecting people to the power of the ocean.
PMEC is a consortium of universities focused on the responsible advancement of marine renewable energy by expanding scientific understanding, engaging stakeholders, and educating students.

Researchers from the University of Washington, Oregon State University, and University of Alaska Fairbanks work closely with marine energy technology developers, academic and National Laboratory researchers, coastal community members, ocean users, federal and state regulators, and other government officials to address key challenges in the sector and accelerate its emergence.

PMEC serves as an objective voice regarding the opportunities, capabilities, and effects of marine energy, including wave, tidal, riverine, and offshore wind resources.

https://www.pmec.us/