The report prepared by Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP) found that the Yakutat area in Alaska possesses wave resource which is more than enough to satisfy its relatively modest electrical demand.
The study was conducted by ACEP’s Alaska Hydrokinetic Energy Research Center (AHERC) team and represents a synthesis of approximately 2.5 year-long effort to measure and model available wave energy in the Gulf of Alaska adjacent to the community Yakutat, ACEP said.
The report found that the mean annual available wave energy at the mooring site is approximately 19.2 kW/m, which is less than sites off Oregon or Hawaii, but with significant interannual variability in the Yakutat resource due to the frequent passage of storms over the Northern Gulf of Alaska.
Winter values of the monthly mean available wave kinetic energy exceed 35 kW/m, it is stated in the ‘Yakuatat Area Wave Resource Assessment’ report.
The report has been submitted to the Alaska Energy Authority, which funded the project, along with the City and Borough of Yakutat.
Yakutat is a community along the northeast coast of the Gulf of Alaska that is currently considering utilizing renewable, wave based electricity generation in order to decrease their reliance on diesel fuel for electricity generation.
ACEP is dedicated to applied energy research and testing focused on lowering the cost of energy throughout Alaska and developing economic opportunities for the State, its residents, and its industries.