PacWave South Opens as First Continental U.S. Grid-Connected Wave Energy Test Site

The PacWave South facility off Oregon’s coast has been brought online, providing the first grid-connected wave-energy testing site on the continental United States. Developed by Oregon State University, the site lies about 7 miles offshore and includes conduit and a high-capacity power cable installed beneath the beach at Driftwood State Park. Although the grid connection was completed this summer, no wave-energy converters have yet arrived, so the facility has not generated electricity.

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The opening follows a “go/no-go” review by the Department of Energy (DOE) that required approval from the energy secretary after President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025. Trump’s administration has imposed extensive hurdles on clean-energy projects, canceling billions in offshore-wind grants and spending nearly $4 billion to buy back wind leases. Nonetheless, officials have highlighted marine energy as a carbon-free alternative that could address national-security concerns and diversify the nation’s power mix. Federal estimates suggest marine energy could eventually meet about 57 percent of U.S. electricity demand.

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An Energy Department spokesperson said bringing PacWave South online will streamline testing and permitting that have long constrained marine-energy development. PacWave Director Dan Hellin noted that the site is “pre-permitted,” allowing developers to test point absorbers, oscillating water columns and attenuators without securing separate permits, thereby saving time and money.

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• DOE investment in siting and construction: nearly $150 million since 2016.

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• Potential contribution of marine energy: roughly 57 percent of U.S. electricity needs (DOE estimate).

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• The facility’s grid connection required a high-capacity cable laid from the beach to the offshore test area.

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• No wave-energy devices have been installed; developers cite delays in federal funding.

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• “When you’re developing this technology, ultimately you have to get to that stage of full-scale open water testing, connected to the grid. And that’s the real bottleneck for the global industry, the fact that there’s very few facilities like this,” — Dan Hellin, pacwave director

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