FERC Approves First Commercial Wave Energy
Project
After more than two years of proceedings, the U.S. Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the development of
a proposed commercial wave energy project in Oregon. On August 13,
2012, FERC, acting under its authority under the Federal Power Act
to license energy projects in navigable waterways and on federal
lands, issued an Original License to Reedsport OPT Wave Park, LLC.
The issuance caps off more than two years of legal and regulatory
wrangling involving not only FERC and the developers of the
Reedsport project, but also a host of federal and state
agencies.
The first phase of the Reedsport project will involve the
installation of one 150 kW wave energy generator 2.5 miles off the
coast of Oregon, near the town of Reedsport. After testing of the
initial unit, nine additional generators will be installed for a
total generating capacity of 1.5 MW. Once the system is connected
to the Douglas
