PacWave South, a grid connected open-ocean test facility for wave energy technology, has officially opened off the coast of Oregon, giving developers access to infrastructure for testing power generation devices under real sea conditions.
Operated by Oregon State University (OSU), the facility was formally opened on 27 August following nearly 15 years of planning, permitting, design and construction. Its development involved close collaboration between the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydropower and Hydrokinetic Office (H2O), OSU and other partners. It is the first pre-permitted, grid connected wave energy test facility in the continental United States.
Located about seven miles offshore from Newport, PacWave South comprises four independently cabled test berths occupying approximately two square nautical miles. Each berth can support up to 5 MW of generation, giving the site a combined potential testing capacity of 20 MW. Subsea power and data cables connect the berths to a shore-based utility connection and monitoring facility and the regional grid.
The pre-permitted status is intended to remove a significant barrier for developers testing wave energy converters in open water. Rather than securing separate permits for each technology and deployment, developers can use the established test site to evaluate devices under operating ocean conditions.
Bonneville Power Administration signed a power purchase agreement with PacWave in 2025 covering electricity generated during device testing. The Central Lincoln People’s Utility District is expected to distribute the electricity to local customers once testing begins.
The opening marks the transition from facility construction to technology testing, although the first devices have yet to enter the water. Delays affecting federal research funding have pushed back some developers’ schedules, with initial power generation now expected as testing programmes get underway.
For the wave energy sector, PacWave South provides a common offshore environment in which different converter designs can be tested, monitored and connected to the grid. The resulting operational data could help developers address performance, reliability and survivability challenges before moving towards commercial-scale deployment.
