America's First Wave-power Farm

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America's first wave-power farm is under construction off the Oregon coast. The system generates energy as waves on the surface of the ocean move a large, buoyant plunger up and down. This is the first of ten buoys that are being set up in the area at a total cost of $60 million. If they work, they'll power about 400 homes.This form of renewable energy presents some challenges though:

Some don't believe wave energy can work, said Onno Husing, director of the Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association."A lot of people who are very experienced with the ocean harbor a lot of doubt that anyone can in a cost-effective way put buoys in the water, harvest the energy, and not have them end up on the beach," he said.The world's first commercial wave farm opened in 2008 off the coast of Portugal, at the Aguçadoura Wave Park, Husing said. It ran into financial difficulties last year and was suspended indefinitely, according to a statement from Pelamis Wave Power of Scotland, part owner of the project.A wave-power device from another company, Finavera Renewables of Canada, sank off Oregon's coast two years ago, Pellegrino said.

The advantage of wave power over solar and wind is that it's more predictable. Let's hope this works out for Oregon.