Upcoming Deadlines
- The deadline for submissions to the first phase of the Innovating Distributed Embedded Energy Prize (InDEEP) is Aug. 25, 2023.
- The deadline to submit responses to the Wave Energy Converter for Use With Offshore Aquaculture request for information is Aug. 31, 2023.
- The deadline to apply for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Ocean-Based Climate Resilience funding opportunity is Sept. 11, 2023.
- The deadline to submit concept papers for WPTO and the Minority-Serving Institutions STEM Research and Development Consortium’s funding opportunity is Sept. 12, 2023.
- The deadline to apply to the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Initiation solicitation, which includes two WPTO-funded topics, is Sept. 15, 2023.
- The deadline to submit full applications for Topic Area 2 of the U.S. Tidal Energy Advancement funding opportunity is Oct. 19, 2023.
- The deadline to apply for the Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER) program’s request for technical support 11 is Nov. 3, 2023.
- Applications to the GEM fellowship program, which offers academic year fellowships and summer work experiences to master’s and doctoral students from underrepresented backgrounds, are due Nov. 10, 2023.
- The deadline for submissions to the Make a Splash Photo and Video Contest is Nov. 17, 2023.
Looking for more detailed information on the latest funding opportunities and events related to water power? Make sure you subscribe to The Water Wire! Find the next issue in your inbox on Sept. 13, 2023.
Announcements
WPTO Wants You to Make a Splash With Your Video and Photography Skills: WPTO just launched its Make a Splash Photo and Video Contest to highlight the significance of water power technologies, including marine energy, in the nation’s clean energy transition. This contest aims to visually show real-world water power technologies as well as the people contributing to and benefitting from them. Photographers and videographers of all skill levels—including professionals as well as everyday cellphone camera users—can submit their work across various categories for a chance to win cash prizes of up to $2,000. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 17, 2023.
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WPTO Invests Nearly $10 Million to Advance Marine Energy: WPTO announced nearly $10 million for seven innovative projects that will accelerate development and testing of marine energy technologies. These investments advance research on the use of wave-powered technology for seawater desalination and support a feasibility study for a potential ocean current test facility.
WPTO to Fund Nine Small Businesses for Marine Energy Research and Development: WPTO announced funding for nine marine energy projects as part of the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer program. The small-business-led projects will help spur water power innovation across the country to achieve the Biden administration’s goal of a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050.
WPTO and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Announce Funding to Support Energy Transition in Remote and Island U.S. Communities: WPTO and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program announced support for three projects in Alaska, Guam, and Hawai'i that will examine how the adoption of ocean renewable energy could support sustainable energy systems. The projects will conduct community engagement activities that will help illuminate community values, perceptions, and cultural contexts around energy innovation and resilience, and the results will inform DOE efforts to catalyze innovative energy solutions.
Project Updates and Stories
Mirko Musa Draws on His Childhood for Motivation to Advance Water Power Technologies: Mirko Musa, an R&D associate staff member in the Water Resource Science and Engineering Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is combining his childhood fascination with water with his desire to help reduce pollution. Currently, Musa is studying how river currents can power restoration, how ocean energy could generate clean hydrogen, and whether advanced manufacturing could help maintain and modernize the hydropower fleet.
National Labs Report on Needs and Opportunities for Marine Energy Software: A team led by Sandia National Laboratories and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) published a report assessing the needs and opportunities for next-generation marine energy software. This effort aims to understand the current software landscape and to inform future WPTO investments in software to support the needs of the marine energy community. Members of the marine energy community are invited to submit feedback on the needs assessment by contacting the authors, Kelley Ruehl and Nathan Tom.
ORPC Generates Clean Energy From River Currents: ORPC's Modular RivGen device, developed in part with funding from WPTO, is designed to generate emission-free electricity from river and tidal currents that can power existing infrastructure like electric vehicle charging stations. Deployed in Millinocket, Maine, the device has the potential to provide clean, locally sourced, and reliable energy to the surrounding community.
Research Publications
PNNL Studies the Impact of Device Sounds on Marine Life: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) published a journal article on the impacts of human-made underwater sound on fish and the challenges in performing underwater sound assessments. The paper presents a case study on the effect of traffic sound on migrating young steelhead in Washington and highlights the need for scientific evidence, regulatory criteria, sound characterization metrics, sound field modeling, and instrumentation for field measurement. |
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PNNL Researchers Develop Miniaturized Acoustic Transmitter to Monitor Marine Life: PNNL researchers published a journal article that discusses a new miniaturized acoustic transmitter for monitoring marine animals’ behavior around marine energy deployment sites. The new transmitter offers improved signal strength and service life in a smaller and lighter package compared to existing technologies, and it could help address uncertainties regarding the environmental impact of marine energy devices.
Events
A Demonstration of the MODAQ, Marine Energy Data Pipeline, and MHKiT Workflow
Aug. 23, 2023, 12 p.m.–1 p.m. ET, Virtual
The Portal and Repository for Information on Marine Renewable Energy (PRIMRE) team will host a webinar on the Modular Ocean Data Acquisition (MODAQ) system, the Marine Energy Data Pipeline, and the Marine and Hydrokinetic Toolkit (MHKiT). Presenters will demonstrate how these three national lab-developed data collection and processing tools can be used together to collect, process, standardize, and analyze data. The webinar recording will be made available on PRIMRE and sent to all registrants.
EERE STEMtember Sessions: Careers in Clean Energy
Join EERE this September for the EERE STEMtember Sessions: Careers in Clean Energy, a weekly webinar series highlighting EERE careers in renewable energy, sustainable transportation & fuels, buildings & industry, and business operations. Each two-hour webinar will feature EERE leaders and employees, who will share their career journeys and explain why now is the most exciting time to be part of the clean energy revolution at DOE. Hear from hiring managers about the key duties and skills required for positions and how you can apply to be a clean energy champion!
In Case You Missed It
Marine Energy Career Panel Hosted by National Labs: PNNL and NREL hosted an informational marine energy career panel in April featuring national laboratory staff working to advance marine energy research and development. The webinar was aimed at current students and those interested in working in the marine energy field. Staff across various research disciplines discussed their marine energy careers (past, present, and future), including their background, education, career path, and current projects. A recording of the panel is available online.
PNNL Publishes Articles on the Risk of Marine Mammal Collision and Entanglement for Marine Energy Devices: PNNL published two articles, which link to guidance documents, that explore potential impacts of marine energy devices on marine animals, focusing on collision risks and entanglement. The guidance documents provide an overview of known scientific information—for example, while there have been no reported cases of entanglement to date, the risk may vary based on device size and material and the type of animal that interacts with it. The purpose of these documents is to provide information to regulators, advisors, and developers involved in decision-making, consenting, and licensing applications, but they do not replace regulatory requirements.
PNNL Explores Potential of Marine Energy in Coastal Communities: PNNL researchers published a journal article that studies how marine energy can enhance the resilience and sustainability of coastal communities. The team explained how marine energy can offer solutions for increasing energy security and affordability. The study provides valuable insights for the future of marine energy research and deployment that align with the specific opportunities and challenges facing coastal communities.
Sandia National Laboratories Releases Tutorials for Wave Energy Online Tool: Sandia National Laboratories released three new WecOptTool tutorials to help users learn and take advantage of the software’s many capabilities. The WecOptTool is an open-source software tool for conducting optimization studies of wave energy converters and their control strategies.
Social Spotlight
WPTO on LinkedIn: August 14, 2023
🚨Calling all minority-serving colleges and universities!🚨 Yesterday, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) opened a $1.2 million funding opportunity to accelerate the development of new, innovative, and high-impact #WaterPower research ideas to advance #MarineEnergy and #hydropower systems modeling for climate resilience.
Concept papers are due by September 12📅.
Learn more: 🔗 https://bit.ly/44PZFoM
Follow along on the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook channels for more water power content each week.
Making a Splash in the News
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US National Lab Seeks Input on Use of Wave Energy Devices for Powering Offshore Aquaculture, Offshore Energy, Amir Garanovic, Aug. 10, 2023
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It Is Finally Here! New Water-Free Technology Can Imitate Ocean Waves, NREL, Josh McCormack and Caitlan McDermott-Murphy, Aug. 9, 2023
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US DOE Makes Available $1.2M for High-Impact Water Power Research for Minority-Serving Institutions, Offshore Energy, Amir Garanovic, Aug. 3, 2023
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Wave Energy Project: Construction Working From Ocean to Shore, North Coast Citizen, Michelle Klampe, Aug. 1, 2023
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Project Spotlight: Sandia Develops Spatial Environmental Assessment Toolkit, Sandia National Laboratories, Spring Booth, Aug. 1, 2023
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AI-Assisted Marine Monitoring System Provides Long-Term Deep Dive, Vision Systems Design, Jim Tatum, July 28, 2023
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Oscilla Power Starts Building Smaller Version of Its Utility-Scale Triton Wave Energy Device, Offshore Energy, Amir Garanovic, July 27, 2023
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Saving the Planet, One Internship at a Time, NREL, Kaitlyn Stottler, July 27, 2023
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US Invests Nearly $10 Million to Advance Marine Energy, Marine Link, Staff Writer, July 27, 2023
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