Kaneohe's Doing The Wave, For Real Power

In what could be a step toward sustainability, Kaneohe Bay now boasts the first wave-energy generator in the U.S. that is connected to the power grid for independent evaluation.

The Azura generator went on line earlier this month in the U.S. Navy's Wave Energy Test Site. The generator will feed power to Marine Corps Base Hawaii during a 12-month test period.

Sea Engineering, based in Honolulu, deployed the generator, which was built by Northwest Energy Innovations of Portland, OR. The Navy, U.S. Department of Energy and University of Hawaii are funding the project.

The university will collect, analyze and report data from the project to validate its performance.

Sustainability is a priority for the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board, which supports livable-community initiatives like the Blue Zones Project. Renewable energy also is a priority for the Marine Base, which is a regular presenter at Neighborhood Board meetings.