Offshore Renewable Energy in the Pacific Northwest - The What, Where, When, Whom and How?

Dr. Bryson Robertson

Tuesday, July 25th

11:00-12:00pm

ECS 660

The Pacific Northwest and Western Canada are endowed with some of the most energetic offshore marine renewable energy resources in the world, and Oregon State University is a globally recognized academic leader in the responsible advancement of marine renewable energy. In his talk, Dr. Robertson will provide an overview of the need to decarbonize our global and US energy sector, explain why wave and offshore wind energy has an important role to play in this transition, and why Oregon/OSU is ideally placed to lead this effort.

Dr. Bryson Robertson is the Director of the Pacific Marine Energy Center at OSU, and an Associate Professor in Civil and Construction Engineering. His research focuses on wave mechanics, hydrodynamics of floating bodies and mooring systems, and renewable energy. Working with partners in industry, academia, and the National Laboratories, he specializes in wave, and offshore wind energy resource characteristics; the co-design and modelling of hydrodynamically active offshore wind and wave renewable technologies; and numerically integrating marine power within the emerging Blue Economy. In complimentary research, Dr. Robertson also looks at the future of our global energy systems; the nexus of technology, climate change, policy, economics, and society on the decarbonization of electrical systems; and the public trust requirements to transition power system. Bryson was also a member of the IESVic faculty from 2013-2018 and played a key role in both the West Coast Wave Initiative and the 2060 Project.