Oregon will soon host the first large scale wave energy research site, OPB writes.

Namely, the Department of Energy has granted USD 4 million for the project development.

Accordingly, the project will be connected to the on-shore electrical grid thus enabling the researchers to test the amount of power the buoys convert into electricity.

Belinda Batten, who directs the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center at Oregon State University, said the project will help make the wave energy more commercial.

According to her, wave energy has the potential to meet 10 percent of the global energy needs.

Subsea World News Staff, September 27, 2012 Image: oregon state university