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Did You Know?
There are climbing skills involved in maintaining hydropower dams! As a project manager in the field of rope access geohazard mitigation, Madeline Nelson oversees and joins teams of expert climbers who scale rock walls, dams, and other structures to prevent landslides, catch falling rocks, and repair critical infrastructure.
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Aug. 16, 2024, is the deadline to apply to be a host facility for the Marine Energy Graduate Student Research Program.
Aug. 28, 2024, is the deadline to submit concept papers for the Water Power Innovation Network funding opportunity.
Oct. 4, 2024, is the deadline for the Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER) program's latest request for technical support.
Oct. 9, 2024, is the deadline for applicants to apply to the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Engineering Research Initiation, which includes marine energy and hydropower topic areas.
Oct. 18, 2024, is the deadline to submit proposals for the Ocean Energy Safety Institute's (OESI's) Request for Proposals II, which seeks projects from the marine energy sector.
Rolling: Applications to be a fellow embedded in Alaska working with WPTO and the Arctic Energy Office (AEO) will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
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FUNDING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES
WPTO recently announced plans to provide up to $112.5 million in funding to advance the commercial readiness of wave energy technologies through open-water testing and system validation. The proposed opportunity is designed to reduce risks for deployments, increase the potential for commercial adoption through longer-duration demonstrations, and offer additional benefits to help quickly advance wave energy converters. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) anticipates opening this funding opportunity in or around September 2024.
WPTO and AEO are accepting applications for a new fellowship, based in either Anchorage or Fairbanks, Alaska, focused on learning how WPTO and AEO carry out work on water-power-related topics in the state. The selected applicant will also gain hands-on experience by applying their knowledge and expertise aligned with the offices' work areas and pertaining to Alaska's energy challenges and needs. Applications for this opportunity will be accepted on a rolling basis until the role is filled.
WPTO has opened a nearly $5 million funding opportunity to support programs that accelerate the commercialization and adoption of water power systems and solutions. The opportunity will support programming and services for entrepreneurs and small businesses in hydropower and/or marine energy. Applicants must submit a concept paper by 5 p.m. ET on Aug. 28, 2024, to be eligible to submit a full application.
NSF opened applications for its Engineering Research Initiation program, which aims to enhance engineering research capacity by supporting new academic investigators who have not received significant federal funding. Working with WPTO, NSF included two special topics focused on water power: Marine Energy and the Blue Economy and Hydropower and Climate Change Impacts. Funding recipients are eligible to receive up to $200,000 over 24 months and should submit applications by Oct. 9, 2024.
OESI seeks proposals focused on marine energy through its Request for Proposals II funding opportunity. Projects may involve small-scale marine energy solutions that enhance the safety, security, and sustainability of offshore wind and oil and gas operations, as well as utility-scale marine energy solutions that leverage experience from wind energy and oil and gas. Proposals are due Oct. 18, 2024.
WPTO announced the 15 winning teams in Phase II of the American-Made Innovating Distributed Embedded Energy Prize (InDEEP). Each team was awarded $80,000 in cash prizes for showcasing the performance capabilities and characteristics of their distributed embedded energy converter technology (DEEC-Tec) concepts to harness and convert the power of ocean waves into usable types of energy. The winning teams will advance to Phase III of InDEEP, where they will integrate their individual DEEC-Tec prototypes into a larger metamaterial. The competition will culminate at an in-person event in January 2025.
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Aug. 22, 2024, 12:30–2 p.m. ET, Webinar
Join experts from WPTO for a discussion on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Hear about where they see potential benefits and uses of these tools in the hydropower and marine energy sectors and where they may already be in use!
Aug. 27, 2024, 1–2 p.m. ET, Webinar
Join researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to learn about the cybersecurity situational awareness tool (CYSAT), an advanced threat finder that provides a trusted alarm system with detailed information about different types of intrusions in grid networks. This presentation will focus on CYSAT's design and development, as well as highlight future efforts toward commercialization.
Aug. 28, 2024, 2–4 p.m. ET, Webinar
WPTO is hosting the third and final Hydropower Environmental and Industry R&D Summit Talk. This talk will focus on sedimentation at dams to clarify the challenge space facing hydropower stakeholders as presented by industry and others. Attendees will also hear from practitioners and researchers on the state of the science and how that science can address industry's challenges.
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Sept. 5, 2024, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. ET, Webinar
Join Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and experts from WPTO, other government agencies, and the hydropower industry to explore gaps facing the U.S. supply chain along with potential remedies. Hear from the Secretary and a panel of experts on what these findings mean to DOE and the industry moving forward. This discussion is part of WPTO's efforts to engage with the hydropower community on strategies to secure and encourage domestic manufacturing.
Sept. 18, 2024, 2–3 p.m. ET, Webinar
Floating photovoltaics (PV) are a nascent technology in the United States mainly focused on human-made water bodies. During this webinar, researchers from the Idaho National Laboratory and NREL project team will provide an overview of and share results from the project AquaPV: Foundational Analysis and Industry Guidance on Floating PV for Reservoirs.
Jan. 27–31, 2025 (Hydropower Program)
Feb. 10–14, 2025 (Marine Energy Program)
Registration will open in the fall for WPTO's 2025 Peer Review. The purpose of peer review is to evaluate WPTO-funded projects based on their contributions to the office's mission and goals, track progress made against stated objectives, and assess the office's overall management and performance.
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Sept. 17–19, 2024, Melbourne, Australia
Join WPTO staff at ICOE 2024 in Melbourne, Australia! Be sure to catch Allison Johnson, the office's engagement and outreach lead, during the first day of the conference as she discusses the opportunity for marine energy research and development in the United States.
DOE recently released a report that makes actionable recommendations to address five gaps in the domestic hydropower supply chain. A robust domestic supply chain is critical to support new construction and upgrades, refurbishments, and relicensing activities at existing hydropower facilities. The in-depth report, Hydropower Supply Chain Gap Analysis, draws on feedback from hydropower industry stakeholders and considers various sectors of the supply chain, from mining and extraction to installation and construction.
DOE's first hybrid electric-diesel research vessel, Resilience, recently arrived at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Sequim, Washington. At 50 feet long, Resilience is the first of its size class to be partially electrified. The vessel will help usher in a new era of research at PNNL-Sequim, where scientists can study the environmental impacts of marine energy, ocean-based carbon dioxide removal, costal ecosystem sciences, and more.
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
Clean Energy Champion Spotlight: Charles Scaife
—DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Sarah Brown, July 25, 2024
Webinar Details How Industry Can Qualify for the Domestic Content Tax Credit Bonus
—DOE, Staff Writer, July 25, 2024
DOE's First Hybrid Research Vessel Resilience Arrives
—Mirage News, Staff Writer, July 23, 2024
Construction Slated for Coastal Wave Energy Testing Facility
—Columbia Gorge News, Michelle Klampe, July 22, 2024
Startup Receives Grant for Floating Power Generators: 'To Create a Sustainable and Economically Beneficial Energy Solution'
—The Cool Down via Yahoo Tech, Rick Kazmer, July 21, 2024
Powering Sustainable Aquaculture with Marine Energy
—World Aquaculture Society, Mikaela Freeman and Alexandra Freibott, June 2024
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