It has been shown that current methods of generating electricity, such as burning fossil fuels, cause damage to the environment. Because of this, new ways of generating electricity that are less harmful to the environment are needed. One promising alternative energy source comes from the waves in oceans and other bodies of water. In this study, a vertical surge oscillating wave energy converter (WEC) was created at the University of Minnesota Duluth and tested in the wave tank at Michigan Technological University. The WEC from this study was specifically designed for use in areas where it can be fixed to a wall or other vertical structures. The tests conducted at Michigan Technological University were done to determine the best phase shift between plate angle and water waves for generating power. A data-driven transfer function model was also developed using system identification to calculate the excitation and admittance of the WEC. Developing this model of the WEC is done so that it can be used to create a control scheme to generate even more energy. So far, an optimal phase shift between angle and wave height was found and the model was completed; however, there were differences between the modeled WEC and actual WEC plate angular velocity that would need to be addressed in future work. Once a model and control scheme are developed, the next step would be to test the WEC and controller in the wave tank to determine if more energy is generated with or without the controller.