Wave energy is meeting topic

The Lincoln County and Newport planning commissions will hear about wave power during a joint session on Monday, Feb. 28. The agenda includes a presentation on Aquamarine Power’s “Oyster” Wave Energy Converter. Although permit applications for land based sites for electrical generation are far in the future, the commissions are interested in staying abreast of the project.

The public is invited to attend the meeting, which takes place at 6 pm at Newport City Hall.

The Oyster is currently in the water off the coast of Scotland. Designed for the near-shore environment, the device is anchored to the seafloor with steel pilings. It forces high-pressure water to an on-shore hydro-electric generator, which is connected to the electrical grid.

Aquamarine Power plans to lease seafloor along the Oregon coast in order to position Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs). The ADCPs measure the strength and frequency of waves and are used to find the most energetic areas of the ocean.

Along with the ADCPs, Aquamarine Power is talking with stakeholders along the coast. The hope is to have minimal impact on existing uses, while adding more green energy to the mix of electricity available to Oregonians. Throughout the process, Aquamarine Power will talk with community members to find the most appropriate areas to place Oyster arrays.

Aquamarine Power USA LLC is located at 830 N. Coast Hwy in Newport, and can be reached at 541-234-4869. For more information about Oyster, go online at www.aquamarinepower.com.

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