Going back over a decade, PMEC has been dedicated to accelerating the responsible development of wave, tidal, in-river, and offshore wind energy technologies. The Center unites faculty, staff and students across three leading universities in their work with key stakeholders to investigate technical, environmental, and social dimensions of marine energy.
Accelerating the emergence of marine energy requires long-term, bold and innovative thinking. We take on critical marine energy challenges and we embrace all stages of the innovation process.
We believe that rigorous, impartial, and evidence-based approaches are the only way to provide credible results regarding the opportunities, capabilities and effects of marine energy.
We strive to make the strongest possible positive impacts to the environment, society, the nation, and the planet. Our research aims to make measurable progress towards a more sustainable and resilient future.
Teamwork, mentorship and collaboration are fundamental to PMEC's success. Our greatest achievements are the result of interdisciplinary teams working collectively within a welcoming environment to solve meaningful problems.
PMEC is an umbrella organization that unifies research & development, testing, and educational programs in marine energy across Oregon State University (lead), the University of Washington, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. A chart of our leadership structure is available here. Individual projects typically cross-cut these capabilities and often involve collaborative teams drawn from multiple institutions. For example, a graduate student might conduct research towards their degree at one of the affiliated test facilities. Further our scope includes technology, the environment, and society, with projects often cross-cutting these areas.
Projects are collaborative with partners in private industry and national laboratories.
In 2008, as part of congressional action establishing the Department of Energy’s marine energy research program, DOE was directed to create and support a number of National Marine Renewable Energy Centers (NMRECs). Three of these centers were competitively selected and launched at U.S. universities in the Pacific Northwest, the Southeast, and in Hawaii, each with unique research and testing capabilities related to addressing the most pressing questions for new marine energy technology development.
At its inception, the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) was funded by a single DOE grant. Oregon State University (OSU) served as the lead organization and the University of Washington (UW) as a supporting partner. In the years since, NNMREC evolved into an umbrella organization that coordinates marine energy activities supported by DOE, as well as the Department of Defense (DOD), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). During this time, NNMREC also expanded to include the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), signed Memorandums of Understanding with multiple international institutions, and solidified partnerships with the marine energy industry and the three DOE National Laboratories with active research programs in marine energy (NREL, PNNL, and Sandia).
In 2008, as part of congressional action establishing the Department of Energy’s marine energy research program, DOE was directed to create and support a number of National Marine Renewable Energy Centers (NMRECs). Three of these centers were competitively selected and launched at U.S. universities in the Pacific Northwest, the Southeast, and in Hawaii, each with unique research and testing capabilities related to addressing the most pressing questions for new marine energy technology development.
At its inception, the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) was funded by a single DOE grant. Oregon State University (OSU) served as the lead organization and the University of Washington (UW) as a supporting partner. In the years since, NNMREC evolved into an umbrella organization that coordinates marine energy activities supported by DOE, as well as the Department of Defense (DOD), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). During this time, NNMREC also expanded to include the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), signed Memorandums of Understanding with multiple international institutions, and solidified partnerships with the marine energy industry and the three DOE National Laboratories with active research programs in marine energy (NREL, PNNL, and Sandia).
By 2015, as plans for a grid-connected wave energy test site off the Oregon coast became more concrete, it was determined that NNMREC’s mission should be focussed on R&D, education and outreach – and the design, build and operation of PacWave should be conducted through a separate entity.
PacWave’s mission is to establish and operate the world’s leading open ocean wave energy testing facility. As a fully permitted, grid-connected site, PacWave is responsible for providing comprehensive support for testing, research & development, demonstrations, and deployments for wave energy converters (WECs) and other innovative marine technologies. PacWave supports testing clients through site access and formal deployment agreements for both cabled and non-cabled systems.
A full list of testing facilities with PMEC’s partner institutions is on our testing and facilities page.
In 2018, NNMREC rebranded as the Pacific Marine Energy Center.
