Advancing the Wave Energy Industry

An extremely abundant and promising source of energy exists in the world's oceans. Ocean energy exists in the forms of wave, tidal, marine currents, thermal (temperature gradient), and salinity. Among these forms, opportunities and benefits have been identified in the area of ocean wave energy extraction, i.e., using wave energy converters (WECs) to harness the motion of waves and converting that motion into electrical energy. Ocean wave power exhibits several advantageous characteristics including high power density, low variability, and excellent forecastability. The United States is estimated to have 260 TWh of potential wave energy off its coasts, which is approximately 6% of its annual electrical load (comparable to the current traditional hydro power contribution). Ocean waves have well-defined geographical attributes, where the wave power tends to be stronger on the western coasts of land masses and also stronger moving north and south away from the equator. This is due to the global wind cells, primarily the Westerlies, which tend to cause eastwardly moving waves.