Oregon Kicks Off Wave Power, Union-Style
By: Ron Ruggiero
An exciting announcement on Friday kicked off the first-ever commercial scale deployment of wave energy in North America. Off the coast of Oregon, near Reedsport, Ocean Power Technologies will deploy a 10-buoy power project using the power of the ocean’s waves to generate 1.5 Megawatts of Electricity.
Notably, Ocean Power Technologies selected Oregon Ironworks to build the buoys. Oregon Ironworks is a company familiar to the Apollo Alliance. Just last year, the Apollo Alliance reported on its leadership in building a clean energy, good jobs economy and its innovation in developing wave power. Oregon Ironworks employs over 400 workers in Clackamas, Oregon, with most of its employees union members making family-supporting wages and benefits. It is expected that the project with Ocean Power Technologies will employ 30 workers for over nine months during the construction phase. Additional employment will take place in Reedsport as the buoys are deployed.
Mark Draper, CEO of OPT, said: “OPT has identified the Oregon Coast as one of the world’s top sources of future wave energy development, and Governor Kulongoski’s leadership has helped to enable the realization of its potential to create green jobs and prosperous coastal communities.”
The Apollo Alliance has long advocated a “Make It In America” strategy as we build a clean energy economy. The announcement on Friday shows that clean energy can play a major role in bringing manufacturing jobs back to America.