Case study on the novel permitting and authorization of PacWave South, a US grid-connected wave energy test facility: Development, challenges, and insights

Journal Article · Thu Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Energy Policy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113141· OSTI ID:1886833

Freeman, Mikaela C. ^[1]; O'Neil, Rebecca S. ^[1]; Garavelli, Lysel ^[1]; Hellin, Dan ^[2]; Klure, Justin A. ^[3]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
2. PacWave, Newport, OR (United States)
3. Pacific Energy Ventures, LLC, Portland, OR (United States)

Marine energy (i.e., energy from waves, tides, currents, and rivers) in the United States is a nascent industry. In particular, permitting processes—an uncertainty for industry advancement that can be costly and time consuming to navigate—have rarely been tested and used for marine energy. The novelty of the marine energy industry and utilization of open ocean permitting processes that were not originally developed for marine energy have led to extensive efforts to gain consensus amongst state and federal regulatory agencies to authorize marine energy projects. In 2021, Oregon State University successfully completed permitting of a wave energy test facility, called PacWave South, off the coast of Oregon, which is designed to advance wave energy research and development. This article documents the multi-year process that Oregon State University used to receive federal and state authorization for a pre-permitted commercial-scale grid connected facility by detailing the development of the test facility, management of uncertainty and challenges, and key decisions. The PacWave South case study provides insights for the larger marine energy community as the industry advances towards commercialization.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Water Power Technologies Office
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1886833
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-175192
• Journal Information: Energy Policy, Journal Name: Energy Policy Vol. 168; ISSN 0301-4215
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER
grid-connected
marine energy
permitting
regulatory insights
test facility
wave energy