U.S. Debuts First Onshore Wave Energy Project in Los Angeles, Turning Ocean Waves into Clean Power
Los Angeles has launched the U.S.’s first onshore wave energy pilot at the Port of Los Angeles, developed by Eco Wave Power; the system converts ocean waves into electricity, currently producing about 100 kW with potential to scale.
- First U.S. onshore wave pilot: Eco Wave Power installed floats at the Port of Los Angeles’ AltaSea wharf in San Pedro, producing about 100 kilowatts now.
- Onshore conversion approach: Floats pressurize biodegradable hydraulic fluid that runs to land-based motors and generators, reducing marine wear and seabed disturbance.
- Scaling potential and uncertainties: A full breakwater buildout could reach ~60 MW (≈60,000 homes), but durability, permitting and grid integration remain key questions.
- Public-private backing: The pilot is partly funded by Shell, highlighting industry interest alongside local clean-energy goals.
Project overview
The Port of Los Angeles hosted the nation’s first onshore wave energy pilot, built by Eco Wave Power California and installed at the port’s AltaSea wharf in San Pedro. Reports note the system uses seven to eight blue steel floats attached to existing wharf structures, producing roughly 100 kilowatts — enough for about 100 homes in current output. Eco Wave Power and city officials envision a potential full-scale deployment along the port’s breakwater that could ultimately approach 60 megawatts, a level that might power approximately 60,000 homes if achieved.
How it works
Eco Wave Power’s design keeps the most complex components onshore. The system uses floating devices that move with incoming waves; their vertical motion compresses cylinders which push a biodegradable hydraulic fluid through pipes into onshore storage tanks. That stored pressure drives motors coupled to generators on land, which produce electricity fed into the local grid.
Why onshore conversion matters: keeping conversion and electronics on land reduces saltwater exposure, simplifies maintenance, and avoids seabed disturbances common to some offshore systems.
Pilot output, scaling goals and uncertainties
Current output: the pilot yields about 100 kilowatts — roughly power for 100 homes depending on household consumption patterns. Planned scale: officials and the company say expansion along the port’s roughly eight-mile breakwater could reach ~60 megawatts. Key uncertainties include storm durability, long-term saltwater exposure, permitting, the logistics of attaching devices along a busy port, and grid interconnection challenges. The pilot aims to test those variables in real conditions.
Environmental and community considerations
Supporters position onshore wave energy as a way to lower pollution for port-adjacent neighborhoods while aligning with the Port of Los Angeles’ goals for 100% clean energy by 2035 and California’s carbon-neutral targets by 2045. Eco Wave Power emphasizes the low seabed impact of its approach.
However, environmental groups and scientists urge careful, site-specific study — requesting monitoring for effects on fish, marine mammals, shoreline dynamics, and water quality. The pilot will produce data to inform whether wider deployment is environmentally sound.
Funding, partners and local politics
Public-private financing: about half of the pilot’s funding comes from Shell, signaling major energy firms’ interest in transition technologies. Public-private models could accelerate larger builds but also attract scrutiny from activists seeking strict oversight and clear local benefits.
Reducing emissions at the Port of Los Angeles could materially benefit nearby communities such as Wilmington and Carson, long affected by port and refinery pollution. Local leaders are watching whether the technology delivers clean power and local jobs.
National context: what wave power could add
Wave energy in the U.S. remains early-stage, mostly pilots and demonstrations. The Department of Energy projects that coastal wave resources could supply a large share of national needs under optimistic assumptions; company leaders have suggested even larger potential, though such claims are debated and depend on scale, cost, and permitting. Wave power could complement wind and solar because waves often continue when wind or sun do not, helping to smooth supply — but cost, reliability and regulatory hurdles remain.
Global experience and company background
Eco Wave Power has prior installations overseas, including in Taiwan, India and Portugal, giving operational experience across diverse wave climates and regulatory environments. The company’s onshore conversion, with floats attached to existing structures, aims to reduce capital and maintenance costs; the Los Angeles pilot represents one of the first U.S. real-world demonstrations of this approach.
What to watch in the months ahead
- Performance data: actual kilowatt-hours produced over weeks and months.
- Durability: survival through storms and resistance to salt corrosion.
- Environmental monitoring: impacts on marine life, sediment, and water quality.
- Grid integration: how smoothly electricity is delivered to the local distribution system.
- Cost trajectory: whether unit costs fall enough for larger builds to be competitive.
Implications for San Diego, California
San Diego’s ports and coastal businesses could benefit from a regional market for wave-energy components, operation and maintenance, and skilled labor if Eco Wave Power scales along Southern California. Utilities and grid operators may find value in local, steady generation that complements solar and wind.
Environmental groups in San Diego will likely request local studies before supporting similar projects. Politicians and port leaders may treat the Los Angeles pilot as either a model to emulate or a cautionary example depending on its performance, cost outcomes, and community benefits.
Sources and further reading
- CBS Los Angeles: Eco Wave Power project details
- KFI AM640 coverage: U.S. debuts first onshore wave energy project
- Los Angeles Times: In-depth reporting on the launch and technology
- Video report noting Shell funding and project footage
Reporting by Times Media Service.
