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Did You Know?
DOE's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations recently selected the Lewis Ridge Project (Coal-to-Pumped Storage Hydropower) for $81 million in funding as part of its Clean Energy Demonstration Program on Current and Former Mine Land. Learn how this former coal mine will increase energy resilience for more than 16 states.
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FUNDING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES
The full application deadline is approaching for a $14.5 million funding opportunity to support foundational research at domestic institutions of higher education, including minority-serving institutions, to address challenges and spur innovation in marine and ocean renewable energy industries. Managed by WPTO and DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office, this opportunity will support foundational research and development activities to advance marine energy and offshore wind technologies with the goal of more widely deploying renewable energy resources. Full applications are due by 5 p.m. ET on April 22, 2024. Applicants must have submitted a concept paper to be eligible to submit a full application.
NSF, on behalf of the White House National Science and Technology Council Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Fast-Track Action Committee, requests input to inform the development of an implementation plan for mCDR research. The plan will advance three actions from the Ocean Climate Action Plan to enable mCDR research: form a comprehensive federal mCDR research program; clarify permitting, regulatory, and other standards and policies, and establish guidelines for mCDR research; and launch an mCDR initiative to enable public-private partnerships, strengthen interagency coordination, and promote public awareness and engagement. Responses are due by April 23, 2024.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is now accepting applications for three Clean Energies to Communities (C2C) programs, including the Peer Learning Cohorts program. This six-month program will convene groups of communities this July on topics including energy efficiency, electrifying municipal fleets, and agrivoltaics. Applications for the Peer Learning Cohorts program are due April 30, 2024. C2C is also collecting applications for the In-Depth Partnerships and Expert Match programs. Proposals for the In-Depth Partnerships program are due June 14, 2024 while applications for the Expert Match program are accepted on a rolling basis.
WPTO recently opened applications for the third annual HCC and sixth annual MECC, which engage students in real-world challenges facing the hydropower and marine energy sectors and promote the many career opportunities in water power. Through these challenges, students will build professional connections for a head start in a clean energy career. Each team will be paired with an industry mentor who offers experience, technical expertise, career advice, and other insights on how to navigate the industry. Teams do not need to be fully formed to apply; faculty can register by the deadline and finish filling out their teams later. Applications are due May 6, 2024.
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Phase II of InDEEP is open and welcomes both new and returning competitors to participate. InDEEP challenges competitors to develop novel distributed embedded energy converter technology (DEEC-Tec) concepts to harness and convert the power of ocean waves into usable types of energy. In Phase II, competitors will build and test a single energy converter designed to be part of a larger DEEC-Tec. InDEEP welcomes applications from within and beyond the wave energy industry. Diverse, multidisciplinary teams are encouraged to apply to help solve some of the early-stage research challenges in the clean energy transition. Concepts for Phase II are due by May 7, 2024. Learn more about InDEEP from WPTO’s Bill McShane and Carrie Schmaus in a recent episode of the Soft Robotics podcast.
Applications for ETIPP, which provides technical assistance for remote and island communities to bolster their energy resilience, are now open for communities and local organizations. New for this round of applications, ETIPP will offer communities receiving technical assistance direct funding to support their time and engagement on the ETIPP project. The 2024 ETIPP application period closes on July 10, 2024.
WPTO and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) announced five students selected for the 2024 cohort of the Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program. The students will work with mentors from DOE national laboratories and industry partners to advance their research in the understanding and development of marine energy resources.
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9:30–10:30 a.m. ET, April 12, 2024
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is hosting a webinar on the impacts of the latest DOE research and innovations in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation. The briefing will focus on EERE program success and plans for future investments. Speakers include EERE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Jeff Marootian, United Airlines Director of Government Affairs, Tom Michels, and Fervo Energy Strategy Lead, Alexandra Baily Smith. The event will be streamed live on eesi.org/livecast.
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1–4:30 p.m. ET, April 15 and 16, 2024
Curious how researchers track salmon as they journey out to sea? The Salmon Summit provides an opportunity for fourth and fifth graders from across Eastern Washington to meet scientists from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and observe researchers via livestream as they tag and release juvenile salmon into the Columbia River. The three-and-a-half-hour livestream will be divided into 20-minute segments. During each segment, scientists will interact with students, explain the purpose of the experiment, and answer any questions. At the end of each 20-minute segment, researchers will welcome a new group of students and begin the presentation again. Educators and students are encouraged to sign up for this event before registration closes on April 12, 2024.
1–2 p.m. ET, April 16, 2024
Join researchers from NREL to learn about the web-based Cybersecurity Value-at-Risk Framework. This tool can help power plant owners and operators gain greater visibility into their operations from a cyber-risk perspective. During the webinar, participants will learn how to use the tool and develop an understanding of its methodology and the security control implementation guidance the tool can provide.
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1–3 p.m. ET, April 18, 2024
Join Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and WPTO for an interactive, virtual workshop to discuss the opportunities and challenges for conduit hydropower development across the U.S. agricultural, municipal, and industrial sectors. ORNL researchers will present the results of their conduit resource assessment study and then move into facilitated breakout discussions about development challenges. These challenges will inform future DOE research and small hydropower programming.
12:30–2 p.m. ET, May 9, 2024
The U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office is hosting its next Semiannual Stakeholder Webinar on Thursday, May 9, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. ET. Staff and leadership will dive into current and future funding opportunities, how the office is working with partners across the country and beyond, and other accomplishments, news, and updates since the last retrospective stakeholder webinar in November. The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session! Submit questions to waterpowertechnologiesoffice@ee.doe.gov.
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April 30–May 2, 2024, Des Moines, Iowa
The National Hydropower Association and Midwest Hydro Users Group will host their annual Midwest regional meeting in Des Moines, Iowa. Stop by the WPTO booth to chat with staff and fellow stakeholders about some of the most exciting developments in hydropower. WPTO will also host the final event of the 2024 Hydropower Collegiate Competition, featuring students and faculty from 10 universities.
WPTO released its 2022–2023 Accomplishments Report, which showcases more than 40 hydropower and marine energy successes from WPTO-funded projects at DOE national laboratories, companies, and academic institutions across the country. Learn more about WPTO's recent work and how the office is advancing water power technologies to support the country’s clean energy goals.
Looking to dive deeper into publications, reports, and other news in water power? Subscribe to WPTO's program-level newsletters, Hydro Headlines and The Water Column, which provide content focused on hydropower and marine energy, respectively.
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MAKING A SPLASH IN THE NEWS
PNNL Develops Approach to Calculate Economic Value of Converted Non-Powered Dam
—Hydro Review, Elizabeth Ingram, April 2, 2024
Loney Buoy Seeks Next-Generation Wave Energy Converter
—Clean Technica, Tina Casey, April 1, 2024
Clean Energy, One Community at a Time
—EurekAlert, Rebekah Orton, March 29, 2024
Why You Might Love a Career in Marine Energy
—NREL, Caitlin McDermott-Murphy, March 28, 2024
Applications Open for 2025 Hydropower and Marine Energy Collegiate Competitions
—Hydro Review, Elizabeth Ingram, March 26, 2024
Could a New Renewable Energy App Help Inspire Future Climate Crusaders?
—altenergymag.com via NREL, Staff Writer, March 22, 2024
Energy Agency Announces $475M in Funding for Clean Energy Projects on Mine Land Sites
—The Associated Press, Bruce Schreiner and Isabella O’Malley, March 21, 2024
Strengthening the Future of Water Power Through Collegiate Competitions
—DOE, Staff, March 21, 2024
Soft Robotic Podcast: InDEEP Prize, The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bill McShane & Carrie Schmaus
—Soft Robotics Podcast, March 20, 2024
DOE's Water Power Technologies Office Releases 2022–2023 Highlights Report
—Hydro Review, Elizabeth Ingram, March 19, 2024
Balancing Water Spills at Hydropower Dams for Fish Passage and Energy Production
—Hydro Review, Elizabeth Ingram, March 15, 2024
Hydroelectric Production Incentives Open for Applications to Bolster Clean Energy Infrastructure in the US
—International Water Power & Dam Construction, Staff Writer, March 15, 2024
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