Abstract
It is well accepted that wave energy has great potential to satisfy the energy requirements of a substantial portion of the world’s energy needs. However, cost of development and many technical challenges has proven the feat of grid-scale implementation to be no small feat. Consequently in order for the industry to persist, it is likely that niche implementation options should to be explored initially. And that such options need to have all the cutting edge resources available to them. One such niche implementation option is that of coastal communities, with a wave resource, that are at risk of energy isolation in the event of a blackout. As an example, communities along the Oregon Coast demonstrated just such a need in 2007. This paper considers the potential of utilizing WEC arrays to mitigate the risks associated with a blackout (i.e. economic and environmental) specifically through the lens of array design and the influence that WEC size and location would have on generated power within an array.