7 miles off the Oregon Coast, scientists are about to start harnessing power from the ocean’s waves

PacWave handled all the permitting and construction, so wave energy developers can test their tech in the ocean.

One of the biggest challenges with renewable energy is its inconsistency: clouds might block the sun one day, or winds die down. But there are always waves in the ocean—even on calm days, and even at night. Harvesting wave power, though, has been historically difficult. Now, a project off the coast of Oregon hopes to change that, by providing a testing ground for wave energy to become a reality.