Powering Coastal AI Infrastructure with Wave Energy
Turnwater is developing a next-generation Wave Energy Converter (WEC) designed to deliver scalable, renewable coastal power while simultaneously acting as a floating breakwater.
As AI-driven data centers rapidly increase global electricity demand, the world faces an urgent need for reliable, clean power located close to where that energy will be consumed. Many future hyperscale data centers are expected to be built near the coast due to cooling, land availability, and logistics advantages.
Turnwater addresses this challenge by transforming ocean wave energy into consistent renewable electricity directly at the coastline.
Unlike conventional offshore renewables, Turnwater combines two critical functions in one infrastructure platform:
• Renewable baseload-style power generation
• Protection of ports, coastal infrastructure, and working fleets
This dual-use approach creates not only an energy solution but also a potential permitting and community acceptance advantage.
Turnwater’s technology is based on years of research into wave dynamics, wave transformation, and hydrodynamic energy capture. The system modifies incoming waves to reduce destructive wave impact while simultaneously creating pressure differentials that drive water through internal ducts and turbines to generate electricity.
The modular design is intended for deployment in high-energy coastal environments, with a long-term path toward GW-scale wave power parks capable of supplying electricity to AI infrastructure and coastal industry.
Turnwater is targeting a first GW-scale wave power park by late 2029, with an initial projected LCOE of approximately $100/MWh, falling toward $70/MWh by 2032 as scale, manufacturing, and deployment efficiencies improve.
Turnwater aims to become part of the next generation of energy infrastructure: scalable, renewable, coastal, and designed for a world increasingly powered by AI.