Energy in Oregon

​​Capacity

According to a 2016 study by the National Renewable Energy Lab, Oregon's total technical potential for floating OSW capacity in ocean depths from 60 – 1000 meters is 60 gigawatts.

Overview

Floating OSW energy is similar and different compared to the bottom-fixed OSW energy being developed on the East Coast. While they both generate power from the movement of wind across the ocean, they differ greatly in anchoring technology, scale, energy output, and cost.

Off the East Coast, the ocean floor gradually descends over a great distance, resulting in relatively large areas of shallow water depths less than 60 meters – which are depths where OSW towers can be directly anchored into the seafloor, similarly to how land-based wind towers are directly fixed into the ground, hence the name bottom-fixed OSW.

Off the West Coast, including Oregon, the ocean floor drops steeply to water depths greater than 60 meters – which are depths that require massive floating platforms to support and anchor the OSW towers in place, hence the name floating OSW.

In addition to enabling OSW at deeper depths, the buoyancy, footprint, and mobility of floating platforms also enable the size and scale of OSW towers, turbines, and blades to be much larger with floating OSW compared to bottom-fixed OSW. The larger scale and use of floating platforms add significant upfront costs compared to smaller, bottom-fixed OSW projects. On the other hand – if comparing projects with equal amounts of OSW turbines – the larger, higher cost floating OSW project will also generate significantly larger volumes of energy than a bottom-fixed OSW project. This cost to benefit tradeoff is one of many considerations involved with any overall assessment of the benefits and challenges of floating OSW and planning for its potential development.

OSW In Oregon

In 2021, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 3375. The law declared a state goal to plan for the development of up to 3 gigawatts of floating OSW energy projects within federal waters off the Oregon coast by 2030 – and directed ODOE to study and report on the benefits and challenges. As a result, Oregon policy recognizes the merits of studying and planning for floating OSW, though Oregon has not committed to deployment targets. For more information on Oregon's clean energy policies, and the benefits and challenges of floating OSW off Oregon's coast, see ODOE's 2022 Floating OSW Study & Report.

Federal Involvement

Floating OSW would be located in federal waters, beginning 3 nautical miles from shore and extending out to 200 nautical miles from shore. Federal waters cover the Outer Continental Shelf, which are owned by the U.S. Department of Interior and managed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

BOEM leads the ocean area leasing process for all types of potential development activity for ocean-based energy projects within Federal waters, including OSW and marine hydrokinetic. BOEM is also responsible for permitting the construction and operation of OSW projects. ​

Capacity

According to a 2011 study by the Electric Power Research Institute, Oregon's total annual available wave energy in the inner shelf alone is equal to 143 billion kilowatt-hours per year – enough energy to power about 28 million homes.

Overview

Marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy is generated from the movement of large bodies of water. Ocean waters adjacent to Oregon are worldclass in terms of providing a source of high-quality wave energy, making the Oregon coast an ideal location for researching & developing MHK technology. MHK energy is not limited by water depths, though some technologies may perform better at different depths.

MHK devices are generally on the smaller side, capable of generating up to 1 megawatt of power output. MHK is a broad term consisting of several sub-categories of devices capable of harvesting different forms of ocean energy – wave, tidal, and current. Design configurations and scales vary widely, across devices.

MHK In Oregon

Oregon State University, through a collaboration of West Coast universities under the Pacific Marine Energy Center​, has been a global pioneer for early research and development activity with MHK. 

Oregon's Renewable Portfolio Standard recognizes MHK technology as an eligible renewable resource. In 2007, the Oregon Innovation Council selected wave energy as an economic innovation focus. As a result of funding from the OIC, the Oregon Wave Energy Trust was established with the goal of responsible development of wave energy projects in Oregon. In 2015, OWET was renamed the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust with an expanded goal to support the responsible development of all types of marine renewable energy technologies, including offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy.

Federal Involvement

Since MHK can be deployed in shallower waters than floating offshore wind, it's possible for MHK energy projects to be located in state waters, closer to Oregon's coast (within 3 nautical miles).