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June 12, 2025: Oregon State University is seeking a qualified electrical contractor to support operations at the PacWave wave energy test facility in Seal Rock, Oregon. The selected contractor will be responsible for the operation, maintenance, and repair of all medium voltage electrical systems and switchgear (up to 36kV) located at PacWave’s Utility Connection & Monitoring Facility. The request for proposals (#2025-019018) can be found at: https://bid.oregonstate.edu/opportunity/view/24562.
A mandatory site visit is scheduled for June 26, and proposals are due on July 17.
Construction Updates – last update 03/24/2025
Junhui Lou and Bryson Robertson have published a Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC) technical report on PacWave Cotemporal Resource Assessment of Waves, Winds, and Currents. It is now available through OSU’s Scholars Archive.
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If you have ever stood by the ocean and watched waves roll in, curling repeatedly into the sand or sending spray sky-high against a rocky shore, you’ve experienced the seemingly infinite power of the ocean. What if we could capture some of that energy and turn it into electricity?
Wave energy is an incredible way to utilize America’s natural resources to strengthen our energy dominance. Just like oil and gas made America a global energy leader, wave energy potentially gives us another tool to use what we already have—our vast coastlines—to power our homes and businesses. PacWave, based at Oregon State University, is helping the marine energy industry test new ideas and develop the technology to harness wave energy.
PacWave is an open ocean wave energy testing facility consisting of two sites, each located just a few miles from the deep-water port of Newport, Oregon on the ever-energetic Pacific Ocean. Both PacWave sites are highly accessible and served by a diverse maritime supply chain.
PacWave is affiliated with the Pacific Marine Energy Center.
