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Did You Know?
WPTO recently published the second installment of its "On the Road With WPTO" series! See how team members traveled across the country to connect with hydropower and marine energy stakeholders with the goal of advancing water power.
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FUNDING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES
WPTO and Oak Ridge National Laboratory opened a new technical collaboration opportunity for industry partners interested in developing innovative hydropower technologies using advanced materials and manufacturing. This opportunity, which leverages the lab's existing technical collaboration program, will provide selected participants with access to DOE's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. It will allow companies to validate and refine untested ideas and experiment with novel approaches to enhance the performance and sustainability of hydropower technologies without committing extensive resources. Interested applicants must submit a brief concept abstract (template provided), and proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are expended.
Applications are now open for ETIPP, which provides technical assistance to remote and island communities to enhance their energy resilience. New this year, communities selected for technical assistance will also receive direct funding to support their time and engagement on the ETIPP project. The application period for the 2024 ETIPP closes on July 10, 2024.
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WPTO is accepting submissions for the Powering the Blue Economy: Power at Sea Prize, which will award up to $1.7 million to participants to advance marine energy technologies for offshore applications, such as ocean-observing devices and aquaculture installations. The first phase of the competition is open for submissions through July 26, 2024.
Northern Arizona University was the overall winner of the 2024 Hydropower Collegiate Competition, followed by Johns Hopkins University in second place, and California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in third place. The competition, funded by WPTO and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), asked multidisciplinary student teams to tackle common challenges in hydropower, giving them real-world exposure to the industry and a head start in a clean energy career. This year, teams developed solutions to add power-generating infrastructure to existing non-powered dams.
DOE has announced renewed funding for the National Alliance for Water Innovation, DOE's energy innovation hub for desalination. With $75 million over five years, the alliance will continue to bring together a team of industry and academic partners to examine the critical technical barriers and research needed to lower the cost and energy of water purification technologies. The advancements in desalination technologies will help propel the modernization of America’s water infrastructure.
DOE's Office of Technology Transitions recently announced the winners of the EnergyTech University Prize 2024. Three national winners and 13 bonus prize winners were selected for their innovative business plans to bring a DOE national-laboratory-developed or other high-potential energy technology to market. WPTO selected the KelpNext team to receive its Technology Bonus Prize, awarding its members $22,000 for their commercialization plans related to powering the blue economy.
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TOMORROW, May 9, 12:30–2 p.m. ET, Virtual
WPTO is hosting its next Semiannual Stakeholder Webinar tomorrow from 12:30–2 p.m. ET. Hear from Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Jeff Marootian, WPTO Acting Director Matthew Grosso, and others from WPTO who 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. The webinar will conclude with a Q&A session. Submit questions to WaterPowerTechnologiesOffice@ee.doe.gov.
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May 16, 1–3 p.m. ET, Virtual
On Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 1–3 p.m. ET, WPTO will host the first of three Hydropower Environmental and Industry R&D Summit talks on greenhouse gas emissions and hydropower operations. The webinar will clarify the challenge space, as presented by industry and others, and attendees will then hear from practitioners and researchers on the state of the science and how that science can address industry’s challenges.
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May 20–23, 2024, World Forestry Center, Portland, Oregon
Hosted by the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, the Ocean Renewable Energy Conference will focus on a broad range of marine energy topics and include opportunities for stakeholders to stay up to date on key developments such as testing infrastructure and blue economy opportunities. This year, the conference will also host the final event for WPTO's 2024 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition from May 20–22, 2024.
Matthew Grosso was named WPTO's acting director. In this role, Grosso leads strategy, management, and execution of WPTO's $200 million annual budget as the office works to advance research, development, and demonstration of hydropower and marine energy technologies. Hear from Grosso and other members of WPTO leadership during the office's Semiannual Stakeholder Webinar tomorrow (May 9, 2024) 12:30–2 p.m. ET.
Andrew Simms thought he was going to grow up to be a stockbroker. However, inspired by his father, he eventually changed his career path to focus on clean energy. He joined NREL as a wind energy research technician in 2019 and later switched his focus to marine energy. Today, he's analyzing marine energy data, including information from deployments, to help the sector advance toward commercialization.
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
DOE Announces New Advanced Manufacturing Opportunity for Hydropower Projects
—Hydro Review, Elizabeth Ingram, May 2, 2024
DOE Announces Winners of Second Annual Hydropower Collegiate Competition
—Energy Central, Staff Writer, May 2, 2024
New Eco-Friendly Lubricant Additives Protect Turbine Equipment, Waterways
—Science Daily via Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Staff Writer, May 2, 2024
Tidal Energy Is Coming to Alaska. But How Much?
—NREL, Caitlin McDermott Murphy, May 2, 2024
Testing the Waters: Scotland Surges Ahead on Ocean Power
—Undark, Dan Falk, April 29, 2024
Student Team Competes in National Hydropower Challenge
—John Hopkins University, Emily Myrick, April 25, 2024
Clean Energy Developer To Transform Former Mine Into Massive Clean Energy Storage Project: 'Will Help Ensure People Have Energy When They Need It'
—Yahoo News via TCD, Mike Taylor, April 24, 2024
DOE's Plan for a Resilient Power Grid
—Environment + Energy Leader, Staff Writer, April 19, 2024
The (In)Visible Plastic Pollution Problem
—NREL, Anna Nixon, April 18, 2024
Grosso Named Acting Director of U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office
—Hydro Review, Elizabeth Ingram, April 17, 2024
Do We Still Need Hydropower?
—NREL, Caitlin McDermott-Murphy, April 15, 2024
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