The federal approval is the first for a wave program in the United States. Finavera Renewables which hopes to become a worldwide leader in ocean power and has project in South Africa, Portugal, and Canada amongst others will be the company providing the technology. The project comes from a company called Aqua Energy which was bought by Finavera back in 2006. The project will be located some 2 miles off shore and will consist of four buoys and will most likely see construction begin in 2010.
The approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the first ever in the United States for a hydrokinetic wave energy project. The Pacific coast of the United States is estimated to be able to produce about 250 to 500 terawatt hours per year. This could mean a significant chunch of the power hungry West coasts needs could be met.
For additional information:
http://www.finavera.com/ http://www.finavera.com/en/wave/makah_bay
