Annual Wave Power Potential in Terawatt Hours Per Year for Coastal Regions

The total available wave energy resources along the outer continental shelf (200 m depth contour), according to the Mapping and Assessment of the U.S. Ocean Wave Energy Resource, add up to around 2,500 TWhr/yr (1 terawatt = 1 trillion watts). Alaska has the most wave energy potential with over 1,500 TWhr/yr. The West Coast, with a total regional potential of 590 TWhr/yr for Washington, Oregon and California, comes in second. The U.S. uses about 4,000 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity per year.Scientists are aware that waves will always be best on the West Coast because they are created by winds that blow from west to east. CREDIT: Lorena Villa Parkman. SOURCE OF DATA: Mapping and Assessment of the United States Ocean Wave Energy Resource. Electric Power Research Institute.