The Oregon Wave Energy Trust has awarded two grants to help accelerate development of wave energy projects at Coos Bay and Reedsport.

The grants went to Ocean Power Technologies , one of the companies with wave energy projects on the Oregon coast. The trust is reviewing a third grant request. 

“We want to increase access to information and develop a process that is inclusive, so that all stakeholders work together to accelerate wave energy project development,” the trust’s Executive Director Stephanie Thornton said Monday, in a press release.

 The Wave Trust’s matching grants program allots up to $200,000 to qualifying wave energy projects under development. Since the wave energy industry is so new, the money is allocated to help projects navigate a complex process of siting, permitting, construction and eventual grid connection. This grant requires OPT to match its funds to the Wave Energy Trust grant.

“At Ocean Power Technologies, we are committed to developing renewable energy in harmony with Oregon’s coastal communities and consistent with Oregon's environmental values,” said Herb Nock, vice president of business development and marketing at OPT.

Grantees are required to put information garnered as a result of the grant into the public domain. The trust hopes the grants will increase developers’ access to valuable information, as well as helping streamline the regulatory process. 

The nonprofit Oregon Wave Energy Trust was created in part to assist with improving the licensing process in a way that works for both wave energy developers and local communities. It is charged with responsibly developing the ocean wave energy industry in Oregon. It brings stakeholders in ocean wave energy — including the fishing industry, renewable energy companies, environmental groups, local governments and interested citizens — to the table in discussions about reaching goals.

The trust has set a goal of producing 500 megawatts of ocean wave energy by 2025, which is roughly the same as the energy produced by the Boardman coal plant in Eastern Oregon.

OWET can be found on the Web at http://www.oregonwave.org.