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Water Power Technologies Office

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August 25, 2021

Banner announcing the newsletter name "The Water Column" with an image of the ocean at sunset behind it.

Welcome to the first edition of The Water Column, a monthly snapshot of marine energy news and happenings. This month’s newsletter is approximately 5 minutes. Let’s dive in!

Reach out to us at WaterPowerTechnologiesOffice@ee.doe.gov with any inquiries or suggestions.


Did You Know?

Icon for Marine Energy

The ocean covers 71% of Earth—but 80% of those waters remain unmapped and rarely monitored because of limitations with existing ocean observing technologies, including energy constraints.

Follow along on the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)’s Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook channels for more #WaterWednesday content each week.


Announcements, Opportunities, & Upcoming Deadlines

Ocean waves.

WPTO Releases Funding Opportunity to Advance Wave Energy Technologies at PacWave South Facility: Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) announced up to $27 million in federal funding to support the testing and advancement of wave energy technologies at the PacWave South test facility off the Oregon coast. Applications are due October 5, 2021.

Deadline Quickly Approaching: ETIPP Seeks Regional Partner in the Pacific Northwest: The Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) is seeking a regional partner in the Pacific Northwest to help engage and support remote and island communities as they plan for energy resilient solutions. Regional partner proposals are due August 31, 2021.

TEAMER Now Accepting RFTS4 Applications: The Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER) Program is now accepting applications for the fourth Request for Technical Support (RFTS4) through September 16, 2021. Applications may now be submitted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed quarterly following the schedule on the TEAMER website.

A boat in the ocean.

WPTO-NOAA Ocean Observing Prize Competitors to Make a SPLASH in the Olympic Peninsula: WPTO and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have officially announced that the 2022 Powering the Blue Economy™: Ocean Observing Prize competitors will test their marine energy-powered ocean observing prototypes on the Olympic Peninsula, off the coast of Washington, in Fall 2022. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will host this final stage of the SPLASH Contest.


Products & Publications

Photos of a boat and a coastal community.

Waste to Energy: Biofuel from Kelp Harvesting and Fish: PNNL researchers found that by using existing fish processing plants, Alaska’s kelp harvest and fish waste could be transformed into a diesel-like fuel that is carbon neutral and can power generators or fishing boats.

WPTO in Sea Technology Magazine: Ocean Energy for Ocean Farms: A recent edition of Sea Technology Magazine featured an article by WPTO Fellow Sarah Loftus, focused on WPTO-funded research efforts to find offshore locations suitable for powering fish farms with wave energy.

High-resolution 32-year Wave Hindcasts for the U.S. Coastal Waters: A collaborative project between Sandia National Laboratories’ water-power technologies department and North Carolina State University recently highlighted the role that high-performance computing plays in WPTO’s mission of advancing the commercialization of wave energy. It does so by generating an assortment of geospatial statistics on wave energy resources in the United States at an unprecedented level of spatial and temporal resolution.


Upcoming Webinars & Events

WPTO R&D Deep Dive Webinar: WPTO in Alaska

September 15, 5–6 p.m. ET

Alaska is a living laboratory, one that DOE knows well. Join representatives from WPTO as they share the work that they are doing along the coasts and waterways of Alaska and give some insights into what could be next for water power in The Last Frontier.

Pacific Ocean Energy Trust’s Ocean Renewable Energy Conference

September 22–23, 2021

Pacific Ocean Energy Trust will be celebrating its 15th year hosting the Ocean Renewable Energy Conference. The conference will focus on a range of subjects pertinent to the marine renewable energy landscape and offer both in-person and virtual attendance options. Staff from WPTO and U.S. national labs will participate virtually.


In Case You Missed It

WPTO on VICE News: "Wave Energy Could Slash Our Use of Fossil Fuels": WPTO’s Tim Ramsey, the program manager for marine energy, recently sat down with VICE News to discuss the importance of funding and conducting marine energy R&D—most notably at the PacWave South facility off the Oregon coast, the nation’s first, accredited, grid-connected, prepermitted, open-water wave energy testing facility. Watch the full clip to learn more.

Congress’s Bipartisan Effort to Invest in America’s Infrastructure: What It Means for Waterpower, Dams, and Rivers: Check out a recent article from the National Hydropower Association summarizing the record-setting incentives for conventional hydropower, pumped storage hydropower, and marine energy included in the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act.

Technology Innovation Fosters National Clean Energy Education Program: On August 11, 2021, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) published an article highlighting the Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s (BEF) new clean energy education outreach program, the Clean Energy Talent Development Hub for Water Power. The virtual hub, while initially focused on water power, will promote equitable education for underrepresented communities with the goals of broadly sharing knowledge about clean energy and providing today’s youth with access to resources that will foster the future clean energy workforce. The hub is an expansion of BEF’s CE education program, sponsored by BPA’s Technology Innovation group and made possible by a network of collaborative partnerships that include WPTO, the Hydropower Foundation, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Verdant Power TriFrame in the ocean.

NREL’s Recyclable Tidal Turbine Blade Installed on Verdant Power’s TriFrame: With funding from WPTO, NREL partnered with Verdant Power to swap out a tidal turbine’s epoxy blade for a recyclable alternative—NREL’s novel thermoplastic design—at their TriFrame marine energy project in New York City’s East River. NREL engineers hope to determine why this material performs better in seawater, which could help move the design closer to widespread deployment in marine energy projects.

TEAMER Network Director Announces RFTS3 Technical Support Recipients: The TEAMER Program selected 14 projects through its third Request for Technical Support (RFTS3).

Woman smiling at the camera.

Science Isn't Complete Unless It's Well Communicated: Sharing Triton's Research With Cailene Gunn: Cailene Gunn is a marine scientist with a passion for communication and inspiring the next generation of change-making researchers through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

Blue Climate Initiative Launches the Ocean Innovation Prize: On June 28, 2021, the Blue Climate Initiative, an official United Nations Ocean Decade Action, launched a $1 million Ocean Innovation Prize that will be awarded to a diverse set of innovators and entrepreneurs around the world who will address our climate crisis through innovative ocean-related technologies and approaches.


WPTO in the News


Marine Mentions


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