The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of 14
research teams who will receive up to $7.3 million for advanced water
power projects.
The projects will advance commercial viability,
cost-competitiveness, and market acceptance of new technologies that
can harness renewable energy from oceans and rivers.
"The Department of Energy is aggressively pursuing the development of
next-generation technologies that are capable of producing renewable
energy to add to our nation’s diverse energy portfolio," Acting
Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy John
Mizroch said. "Wave, tidal, and current-driven hydro power is an
important clean, natural, and domestic energy source that will promote
energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
Awards will be made in three topic areas. In the first topic
area, awards will be for industry-led partnerships to develop and/or
field test advanced water power technologies. Successful applicants are
required to develop collaborative project teams involving at least one
other industrial, university, or national laboratory partner.
The second topic area is designed to facilitate the market penetration
of advanced water power technologies. Universities, industrial
companies, non-profits and other private sector companies were eligible
to apply, and encouraged but not required to form teams, including
partnering with DOE’s National Laboratories, encouraged but not
required.
The third topic area will assist the development of National Marine
Renewable Energy Centers. Selections were made by a distinguished merit
review committee, comprised of national and international water power
experts.
The following organizations and projects have been selected for award negotiations:
First Topic Area: Technology Development (Up to $600,000 for up to two years)
–Electric Power Research Institute, Inc (EPRI) (Palo Alto,
Calif.) Fish-friendly hydropower turbine development & deployment.
EPRI will address the additional developmental engineering required to
prepare amore efficient and environmentally friendly hydropower turbine
for the commercial market and allow it to compete with traditional
designs.
–Verdant Power Inc. (New York, N.Y.) Improved structure and
fabrication of large, high-power kinetic hydropower systems rotors.
Verdant will design, analyze, develop for manufacture, fabricate and
thoroughly test an improved turbine blade design structure to allow for
larger, higher-power and more cost-effective tidal power turbines.
–Public Utility District #1 of Snohomish County (SnoPUD)
(Everett, Wash.) Puget Sound Tidal Energy In-Water Testing and
Development Project. SnoPUD will conduct in-water testing and
demonstration of tidal flow technology as a first step toward potential
construction of a commercial-scale power plant. The specific goal of
this proposal is to complete engineering design and obtain construction
approvals for a Puget Sound tidal pilot demonstration plant in the
Admiralty Inlet region of the Sound.
–Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) (San Francisco,
Calif.) WaveConnect Wave Energy In-Water Testing and Development
Project. PG&E will complete engineering design, conduct baseline
environmental studies, and submit all license construction and
operation applications required for a tidal energy demonstration plant
for the two WaveConnect sites in Northern California.
–Concepts ETI, Inc (White River Junction, Vt.) Development and
Demonstration of an Ocean Wave Converter (OWC) Power System. Concepts
ETI will prepare detailed design, manufacturing and installation
drawings of an OWC. They will then manufacture and install the system
in Maui, Hawaii.
Lockheed Martin Corporation (Manassas, Va.) Advanced
–Composite Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) cold water
pipe project. Lockheed Martin will validate manufacturing techniques
for coldwater pipes critical to OTEC in order to help create a more
cost-effective OTEC system.
Second Topic Area, Market Acceleration(Award size: up to $500,000)
–Electric Power Research Institute (Palo Alto, Calif.) Wave
Energy Resource Assessment and GIS Database for the U.S. EPRI will
determine the naturally available resource base and the maximum
practicable extractable wave energy resource in the U.S., as well as
the annual electrical energy which could be produced by typical wave
energy conversion devices from that resource.
–Georgia Tech Research Corporation (Atlanta, Ga.) Assessment of
Energy Production Potential from Tidal Streams in the U.S. Georgia Tech
will utilize an advanced ocean circulation numerical model to predict
tidal currents and compute both available and effective power densities
for distribution to potential project developers and the general
public.
–Re Vision Consulting, LLC (Sacramento, Calif.) Best Siting
Practices for Marine and Hydrokinetic Technologies With Respect to
Environmental and Navigational Impacts. Re Vision will establish
baseline, technology-based scenarios to identify potential concerns in
the siting of marine and hydrokinetic energy devices, and to provide
information and data to industry and regulators.
–Pacific Energy Ventures, LLC (Portland, Ore.) Siting Protocol
for Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Projects. Pacific Energy Ventures
will bring together a multi-disciplinary team in an iterative and
collaborative process to develop, review, and recommend how emerging
hydrokinetic technologies can be sited to minimize environmental
impact.
–PCCI, Inc. (Alexandria, Va.) Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable
Energy Technologies: Identification of Potential Navigational Impacts
and Mitigation Measures. PCCI will provide improved guidance to help
developers understand how marine and hydrokinetic devices can be sited
to minimize navigational impact and to expedite the U.S. Coast Guard
review process.
–Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (San
Diego, Calif.) International Standards Development for Marine and
Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy. SAIC will assist in the development of
relevant marine and hydrokinetic energy industry standards, provide
consistency and predictability to their development, and increase U.S.
industry’s collaboration and representation in the development process.
Third Topic Area, National Marine Energy Centers (Award size: up to $1.25 million for up to five years
–Oregon State University (OSU), University of Washington (UW) (Corvallis, Ore. and Seattle, Wash.) Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center.
OSU and UW will partner to develop the Northwest National Marine
Renewable Energy Center with a full range of capabilities to support
wave and tidal energy development for the U.S. Center activities are
structured to: facilitate device commercialization, inform regulatory
and policy decisions, and close key gaps in understanding.
–University of Hawaii (Honolulu, Hawaii) National Renewable
Marine Energy Center in Hawaii will facilitate the development and
implementation of commercial wave energy systems and to assist the
private sector in moving ocean thermal energy conversion systems beyond
proof-of-concept to pre-commercialization, long-term testing.
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