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Pacific Marine Energy Center The Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC) unites the unparalleled knowledge, experience, and testing f

In August, PMEC staff and researchers gathered at Oregon State University for out annual all-center meeting. There were ...
10/01/2026

In August, PMEC staff and researchers gathered at Oregon State University for out annual all-center meeting. There were awesome presentations, good discussions, and delicious beaver-shaped cookies.

As the newest addition to the comms team, I joined the tour of the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory. Keep an eye out for a video of the wave flume in action 🌊

09/04/2026

Hydrokinetics is an emerging technology that harnesses the natural flow of rivers without obstructing the flow. In this video, we briefly explain how it works, and how it is different from traditional hydropower.

Want to learn more about the research happening at the Tanana River Test Site? This video is part of short series on PMEC river energy research. Subscribe to catch the next episode. Tap the link in the bio to learn more.

Read about the Rivgen in "Indigenous values drive energy transformation in remote Alaskan village" by Alexanna Salmon of Alaska Native Village Igiugig https://www.uaf.edu/acep-blog/indigenous-values-drive-energy-transformation-in-remote-alaskan-village.php

Written by Judy Twedt
Animation and voice by Mika McCrary

Images and video credits
⋅.˳˳.⋅°˚°⋅.˳˳.⋅°˚°⋅.
Amanda Byrd
Yuri Bult-Ito
Mika McCrary
Judy Twedt
ORPC, Alaska Native Village of Igiugig
Wikimedia commons

This floating yellow pancake is supporting multiple lines of investigation into open source Wave Energy Conversion (WEC)...
07/13/2026

This floating yellow pancake is supporting multiple lines of investigation into open source Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) design.

Check out our latest blog story to learn more about how OSU doctoral students Raza Ali, Abilyn McConnell, and Inyong Kim work with this device, and their research questions: https://lnkd.in/gckW7jEp

Multi-institutional research partners include Ted Brekken, Dr. Bryson Robertson, PEng, Barbara Simpson, Elaine Liu, and Yun Ni. This work is sponsored by the Department of Energy, H2O. Concept art by Mika McCrary.

We are so pleased to announce the appointment of PMEC's new director, Dr. Ted Brekken! Dr. Brekken has served as the int...
06/25/2026

We are so pleased to announce the appointment of PMEC's new director, Dr. Ted Brekken!

Dr. Brekken has served as the interim Director since January 2026 and as associate director since 2019, bringing deep institutional knowledge and trusted leadership to the position.

He is a professor in energy systems at Oregon State University, and co-director of the Wallace Energy Systems & Renewables Facility, where his research focuses on the control and modeling of renewable energy systems and electrical system resilience.

Among his accomplishments, Dr. Brekken has received an NSF CAREER award, the IEEE Power and Energy Outstanding Young Engineer award, and numerous teaching awards.

This Friday, celebrate World Ocean Day with MACO! Play games, win prizes, enjoy refreshments, and climb aboard an OSU re...
06/04/2026

This Friday, celebrate World Ocean Day with MACO! Play games, win prizes, enjoy refreshments, and climb aboard an OSU research vessel. Find out more about marine research opportunities happening at Oregon State University.

Students, researchers, and organizations join together to celebrate and raise awareness about the ocean, its vital connection to our Earth’s wellbeing, and ways students can get involved with OSU marine programs. All are welcome at this free event.

You may have caught that World Ocean Day is officially June 8. MACO will host this event on June 5, 2026 so more students can participate.

💡Insightful case study by UAF masters of engineering graduate Lydia Andriesen at :The remote northern community of McGr...
05/28/2026

💡Insightful case study by UAF masters of engineering graduate Lydia Andriesen at :

The remote northern community of McGrath, Alaska, faces some of the highest electricity costs in the US and regular brownouts when the city’s water treatment plant starts up. They are exploring alternative energy options, including river energy.

Lydia’s modeling and field research found that a 100 kW river turbine could meaningfully offset diesel use, particularly in summer months. In addition to affordable power, the city’s energy committee sees river energy as an opportunity to grow more jobs in and for the community, and is engaging the youth early.

Read more about Lydia’s findings here: https://lnkd.in/gZT3RQQS or tap the link in the bio.
This project was in collaboration with the City of McGrath and supported by funding from TEAMER - Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research. Other Institutional support from Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) and Pacific Marine Energy Center.

Photos: Lydia’s field research on the frozen river, educational activities with the youth of the city, and her conclusion slide.

Register for the seminar by tapping the link in the bio.

Speaker: Dr. Kate Van Ness, Senior Research Engineer, UW Appli...
05/06/2026

Register for the seminar by tapping the link in the bio.

Speaker: Dr. Kate Van Ness, Senior Research Engineer, UW Applied Physics Laboratory

Date/Time: Thursday 5/14, 2pm Pacific

Title: Axial-Flow Tidal Turbine Research at APL-UW: Insights from Modeling, Flume Testing, and Field Testing

Over the past decade, Kate has collaborated with researchers and engineers across UW to study axial-flow tidal turbines using a combination of modeling, flume testing, and open-water field testing. A focus of the work has been on passive adaptive blades, designed to passively shed load by deforming in strong currents. In this talk, Kate shares what the team is learning from this research, highlights growing capabilities in modeling and testing, and describes how both are supporting an ongoing effort to design, validate, and deploy a 1.2-meter diameter turbine for battery charging.

The PMEC supported student club MREC went on a tour of Panthalassa’s facilities where they fabricate massive machines d...
04/14/2026

The PMEC supported student club MREC went on a tour of Panthalassa’s facilities where they fabricate massive machines designed to harness ocean power.

To learn more about MREC, check them out via clickable link in the bio.

04/01/2026

After four years on this project, yes we’re sure about this! Robertson and Vivekanandan are two members on this large and diverse team, led by OSU professor and roboticist Geoff Hollinger. They just completed the final milestone in a four year project docking an autonomous underwater vehichle with a wave energy converter.

If you’re genuinly curious to know more about this project, there’s a clickable link in the bio to the PMEC blog. There you can read Judy Twedt’s full article on A New Paradigm for Ocean Interaction. (She’s a great writer; stop scrolling and go read!)

Video by Bryson Robertson.

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