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ACEP strengthens collaboration in marine energy

September 11, 2025

Luke Woodhouse, a research professional with ACEP’s marine energy program, spent a busy week meeting with partners in his field this August.

Amid an extreme heat wave in Corvallis, Oregon, Woodhouse attended the all-center meeting. The meeting focused on PMEC’s new strategic plan for the upcoming year with a number of collaborative exercises that gathered input from attendees and helped to strengthen the sense of community within the center. PMEC comprises Oregon State University, the University of Washington and the ������app. Also present with Woodhouse was Andrew Seitz, a professor with the UAF College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and an associate director for PMEC, who has worked closely with ACEP to understand the environmental impacts of in-river turbines in Alaska.

Following the PMEC meeting, Woodhouse attended the , a merging of the Pacific Northwest’s long-running Ocean Renewable Energy Conference and the University Marine Energy Research Community annual gathering. During the three-day conference, he learned about innovative approaches in the marine energy space from across the country — from the to . The conference attracts a strong presence from the national labs as well as industry partners such as in California and in Taiwan, making it a great space for PMEC researchers at ACEP to forge partnerships in their field.

The eventful week was capped off with tours of several OSU lab facilities, including the , the and wave basin and the OSU-based test site.

Woodhouse was excited to learn that construction at the PacWave south test site is complete and that it will soon become the first grid-tied marine energy test site to be commissioned in the U.S.

“The scale of the test site was impressive, with many miles of subsea and terrestrial cables placed and a huge energy capacity,” Woodhouse said. “This is a big next step in the field of marine energy and is inspiring to see.”

Three companies currently have a bid for deployment in the first cycle, which is expected to begin in spring of 2026.

Reflecting back on the week, Woodhouse saw the conference as a great opportunity to expand his circle of collaborators in marine energy. He wants to see ACEP continue a high-level of involvement in this space and perhaps increase its presence as a member of PMEC.

“Conversations in marine energy frequently reference ������appand its abundant natural resources and ACEP is uniquely positioned to provide direction for these conversations,” he said. “We have the local resources and information to help foster the growth of this industry in our state in a responsible manner.”