Oregon wave energy stalls off the coast of Reedsport

[XemaSab]

Last September, with great fanfare, Ocean Power Technologies began construction on America's first wave-powered utility. Holding the first - and only - wave energy permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, OPT had planned to deploy a test buoy off the coast of Reedsport by spring.

But a year after the permit, regulatory and technical difficulties have all but halted the project. Federal regulators notified the company earlier this year it had violated the license after failing to file a variety of plans and assessments.

All that remains in the water are pieces of a single anchoring system on the ocean floor. State officials have told the New Jersey company to remove them by month's end.

Leading a new industry has been rough sailing for OPT, as state and federal agencies scramble to write policies for marine energy, and coastal communities worry about fishing grounds and environmental protection. Powerful enough wave technology that can elbow a niche in the energy industry remains a work in progress.

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2013/08/oregon_wave_energy_stalls_off.html

[Nihil]

1. Worth reading the whole article. (n/t)