Abstract
The wave energy resource is characterized and assessed for coastal waters of the United States to evaluate regional opportunities and constraints for wave energy converter (WEC) projects. Partitioned wave parameters generated from a 30-year WaveWatch III model hindcast are used to estimate the total wave energy potential as an annual available energy (AAE), which is a theoretical annual energy production per unit energy capture length without considering energy conversion losses. The distribution of AAE by peak period, wave direction, month, and year is quantified using summary statistics, including peak period spread, AAE-weighted period, AAE-directionality coefficient, and inter-annual and seasonal temporal variability. Geographical distributions of the AAE and these five resource attributes delineate distinct wave energy resource regions within United States coastal waters, where different opportunities and constraints may influence regional energy planning, WEC project development, and WEC conceptual design.