The Tillamook Estuaries Partnership’s (TEP) spring Speaker Series will feature Oregon State University’s (OSU’s) Ken Rhinefrank, who will discuss the emerging technology of converting ocean waves into electricity. The event will take place Thursday, April 6th at the Oregon Department of Forestry (5005 Third Street, Tillamook). Doors will open at 6:00 pm with snacks and refreshments provided. The presentation will begin at 6:30.

“Sea Power – Will it Light our Future?” offers an intriguing introduction to current research on the conversion of ocean wave energy into electricity. While solar power and wind energy have captured the attention of some in recent years, emerging technologies aimed at harnessing wave energy have gone largely unnoticed. Surprisingly, compared to wind – the current front runner in renewable energy sources – waves are a lot more efficient.

This is due to what OSU electrical engineering professor Annette von Jouanne calls “energy density.” “Water is about 1,000 times more dense than air,” she points out. “That means you can extract more power from a smaller volume, which in turn means lower cost.” Waves roll in with more regularity than the wind blows. Energy is available from waves upward of 80 percent of the time, compared to 45 percent or less from wind, leading to more efficient scheduling for other energy sources on the grid.

According to TEP’s Director Mark Trenholm, “the TEP Speaker Series is designed to inform and engage the community in natural resource issues. I can’t think of any resource issue with more far reaching and long lasting impacts than energy usage. This should be a very thought-provoking presentation on a new alternative energy source.”

TEP’s quarterly Speaker Series is a free event. For more information, call TEP at (503) 322-2222, or email Bette Ross at bette@tbnep.org.