June is National Ocean Month!
During this annual celebration of one of our planet’s most crucial assets, we take the time to highlight the many ways in which the oceans are integral to both the environment and human health.
 From our Powering the Blue Economy Initiative and Department-wide efforts such as the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project, to prizes and challenges such as our Ocean Observing Prize, Waves to Water Prize, and Marine Energy Collegiate Competition (MECC), the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is putting in the work every day to protect, preserve, and understand our oceans and the communities that depend on them.
Dive into some other ways WPTO is celebrating our oceans in June:
The Ripple Effect of Water Power Changemakers
A new WPTO article takes an in-depth look at the forces behind the waves. WPTO Acting Director Jennifer Garson and Dr. Lindsay Dubbs are leading the charge for WPTO’s Powering the Blue Economy Initiative and paving the way for new marine energy opportunities that are as vast as the ocean itself.
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Verdant Power: Clean Power from Flowing Water
Check out a new video from WPTO and Verdant Power highlighting the WPTO-funded Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) project in New York’s East River. The footage includes a behind-the-scenes look at the team and technologies that are making a splash in the marine energy industry.
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Announcements & Opportunities
EERE Announces NOI for Funding to Support the Wave Energy Industry at PacWave South Facility
The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced a Notice of Intent (NOI) for a potential Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to support R&D projects that use the PacWave South wave energy converter (WEC) testing facility to advance wave energy converters and supporting technologies. The R&D performed under this FOA will be the first testing performed at the PacWave South facility.
NOAA Ocean Exploration Federal Funding Opportunity
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration is soliciting proposals to conduct or support ocean exploration resulting in outcomes that provide or enable initial assessments about unknown or poorly understood regions of U.S. waters. Proposals are due October 8, 2021. Please see NOAA’s notice for more details.
Products & Publications
Discover Marine Energy Resources for Your Next Project with the Interactive Marine Energy Atlas
Pinpoint promising marine energy resource sites with the click of a button in the upgraded Marine Energy Atlas. Developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and funded by WPTO, this interactive mapping tool is powered by multi-lab, high-res data sets to depict and map wave, tidal, ocean, and riverine current resources, as well as ocean thermal resources. Users can download high-res data about potential locations for marine energy projects and pinpoint risks, such as very large waves and intense turbulence sites.
 PNNL and Sandia Research Featured in International Marine Energy Journal
International Marine Energy recently published High-Resolution Hindcasts for U.S. Wave Energy Resource Characterization, a joint modelling effort by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Sandia National Laboratory (Sandia) on high-resolution wave hindcasts to support WPTO’s program of wave resource characterization, assessment, and classifications in all U.S. coastal regions. Topics covered include the modelling approach, model input requirements, model validation strategies, high performance computing resource requirements, model outputs, and data management strategies.
Upcoming Webinars & Events
Sandia & John Hopkins Workshop: Practical Approaches to Modeling and Control Designs for Wave Energy Converters
June 17-18, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. ET
Learn more
Join researchers from Sandia and Johns Hopkins University on June 17 and 18 from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. ET for a workshop that will introduce students to a set of practical tools that can be applied in engineering analyses of WECs. Students will learn a theoretical foundation and a set of tools that can be applied in WEC design, modeling, and control.
WPTO R&D Deep Dive Series: Underwater Observations – Monitoring the Environment around Marine Energy Devices
June 24, 3:30-4:30 p.m. ET
Register here
The Triton Initiative is researching various environmental monitoring technology and methods to understand how different types of stressors caused by marine renewable energy devices can be tested. The information gleaned from this research will produce a set of recommendations to inform regulators on how to safely permit marine renewable energy devices bringing the nation closer to meeting climate change goals and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. Join us on June 24 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. ET to learn more about the Triton Initiative.
WPTO R&D Deep Dive Series: 2021 Hydropower RAPID Toolkit Annual Update
July 8, 1-2:30 p.m. ET
Register here
NREL will provide an overview on the Hydropower Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop (RAPID) Toolkit project as well as recent updates, including newly released tools, data, and publications (featuring potential regulatory changes from the Biden Administration). Participants will be able to ask questions and provide input on how the hydropower community can best utilize the toolkit.
WPTO Webinar: WPTO Semiannual Stakeholder Webinar Featuring New Head of WPTO
July 15, 3:30-4:30 p.m. ET
Register here
Join us on for our semiannual stakeholder webinar where the new Acting Director of WPTO, Jenn Garson, will share water power highlights from the President’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget request. Program representatives will also highlight ongoing programs and open opportunities. The webinar will close with Q&A. Email questions ahead of the webinar to WaterPowerTechnologiesOffice@ee.doe.gov.
2019-2020 Accomplishments Report: Project Spotlight
New WPTO-Led Initiative Drives Marine Energy as a Future Enabler of Growth in the Blue Economy, New Scientific Discovery, and Resilient Communities
In Case You Missed It
WPTO Organizes Oceans-Focused Climate Discussion for 6th Mission Innovation Ministerial Meeting
On May 12, WPTO organized a side event panel recording, titled “The Oceans as a Climate and Economic Asset,” for the 6th Mission Innovation Ministerial Meeting, hosted by Chile from May 30 to June 6. Panelists discussed the potential of the world’s oceans as a climate and economic asset, including maritime decarbonization, ocean-based CO2 removal, sustainable aquaculture, and offshore renewable energy.
It’s Time to Drill Down into Geothermal Technologies Office News
Get the hottest geothermal news from The Drill Down, a new newsletter from DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Office. This monthly newsletter offers information on open funding opportunities, competitions and prizes, newly released products and publications, upcoming events and webinars, and other hot topics. Read the latest edition and subscribe today!
Salmon Summit: PNNL Researchers Virtually Bring STEM Education into the Classroom
Every year, fourth and fifth graders from across Eastern Washington raise fish as part of the Salmon in the Classroom curriculum. This year, researchers from PNNL held a virtual Salmon Summit where staff at PNNL tagged and released 500 juvenile salmon, raised at PNNL's Aquatic Research Laboratory, into the Columbia River as 40 classrooms tuned in via livestream broadcast. Check out PNNL’s article and video to learn more about this year’s Salmon Summit.
Argonne Leads Creation of Definitive Valuation Guide for Pumped Storage Hydropower
How do we catch the wind or hold a sunbeam in our hands? We don’t—but pumped storage hydropower is the quiet giant that does it for us. Check out a new article from Argonne National Laboratory highlighting their DOE-sponsored Pumped Storage Valuation Guidebook, which helps illustrate the value of investing in the world’s best clean energy storage technology.
Dartmouth: Multinational Student Team Takes Home Marine Energy Award
The Dartmouth highlighted recipients of this year’s MECC’s “Moonshot Award” in a new online feature. The 11-person winning team included students from the Autonomous University of Baja California, the Autonomous University of Mexico State, Dartmouth, the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the University of Caribe.
Sandia Summer Interns Develop Interactive Wave Energy Education Display
Sandia researcher Ryan Coe worked with interns on their Sandia Interactive Wave Energy Education Display (SIWEED) project. SIWEED is designed to provide an accessible means for a wide-ranging audience to learn about wave energy. The interactive display comprises a small wave tank about the size of fish tank, a wave maker, a small wave energy converter, and a small model town.
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