MEGAN THOMPSON:

Wave energy is different from tidal energy, which harnesses power from the pull and push of tides with devices usually located underwater, and is already deployed in a handful of places around the world. The wave devices tested here sit mostly on top of the water. One looks different from the next, but they all use the movement of waves to turn a turbine, winch or hydraulic system to generate power. One device tested for a year and a half is called "The Azura." It's designed by a company called Azura Wave Energy based in Portland, Oregon. The steel device weighs about 45 tons and is the length of a flatbed truck. As the device rocks back and forth and up and down in the water, a float in the middle moves and rotates.