California Coast & Ocean

Oregon Takes the Lead
Oregon has jumped out in front to both guide and encourage the development of this emerging industry off its coast. Lincoln County was one of the first applicants, in 2006, for a preliminary permit from FERC, attempting to assert its local authority early in the process when it could count the most. After FERC denied the County's application, Commissioner Terry Thompson said that the County "accomplished what we wanted to. We got people's attention, made them aware of the situation."

In February 2007, County commissioners established Fishermen Involved in Natural Energy (FINE), a 19-member advisory committee, which has worked with energy technology companies and OSU to determine the best test sites off the County's shores. "So far, we've had minimal conflicts [over test sites] due to the involvement of FINE," said Thompson, who is also a fisherman. Testing is now on the fast track. Last summer, OSU tested a wave energy buoy off Lincoln County, as did Finavera Renewables. Finavera's buoy sank shortly before it was to be removed and was not recovered until nine months later. "One of the things we learned from Finavera is that it's really expensive to recover one of these things if it sinks," Thompson said.

The Oregon Wave Energy Trust, an association of industrial, academic, and state agency representatives, was established in 2007 to help support research and development, and to work with coastal communities and other stakeholders to develop the state's wave energy industry in "a responsible manner." OSU, the Department of Energy, and the University of Washington are establishing the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, funded in part by the Department of Energy, to help accelerate the development of wave power technologies and to study possible environmental impacts.

Community groups up and down the Oregon coast are beginning to organize to gain some leverage over siting and other potential issues. "We're at the beginning," Thompson said. "The stakeholder groups really need to get together, to unify and share information, if they want a say in the process. We haven't yet gotten to the point where the different groups are communicating."

In 2009, Oregon will begin revising its Territorial Sea Plan to include a comprehensive plan for siting wave projects, a project many see as the first step toward zoning the waters off its coast. The State of Oregon and FERC signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2008 in which the agency agreed to consider Oregon's comprehensive siting plan when issuing permits.

Oregon is well ahead of other states both in encouraging wave power and ensuring that it is developed appropriately. "Oregon is leading the nation on this, no doubt," said Roger Bedard, EPRI's ocean energy leader.

While many coastal residents are concerned about the way wave power projects are proceeding in the current regulatory environment, most are eager to see it develop as an industry, if it can be done without harming the environment or other users.

"Fishermen don't oppose the concept of wave energy, generally speaking," said Zeke Grader. "We're interested in the potential for clean, non-carbon energy--we want to remove some of the old hydro dams [in rivers along the coast], and that power would have to be replaced somehow. But people are very much concerned about the loss of important fishing grounds, between this and the Marine Protected Areas."

"If they can do it and it's safe for the environment, who would be against it?" Jim Martin said.