Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, October 31, 2019
Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced selections for up to $24.9 million in funding to drive innovative, industry-led technology solutions to advance the marine and hydrokinetics industry and increase hydropower’s ability to serve as a flexible grid resource. Innovative water power technologies have the potential to increase the affordability of hydropower and marine energy. Selected projects will also strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and build on department-wide initiatives to improve the capability of technologies to deliver value to the grid.
Local awardees include:
Percheron Power, LLC of Kennewick, Washington, will develop an innovative, helical fish passage module with the ability to pass fish species both upstream and downstream of a low-head hydropower plant. The modular device, based on Archimedes’ screw principles, will manufacture the components in the United States using advanced manufacturing methods and dramatically lower the cost of fish passage solutions.
The University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, will ensure that a coordinated effort is made to enhance marine energy testing and address the highest priority testing infrastructure upgrades required by industry. The NMRECs are organized as follows:
- Pacific Marine Energy Center (formerly known as the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center),operated jointly by Oregon State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, facilitates the development of wave, tidal, and in-river energy converters through research, education, outreach, and environmental characterization, design, and operation of testing sites.
- Hawaii National Marine Renewable Energy Center, operated by the University of Hawaii, emphasizes wave energy and ocean thermal energy conversion and boasts a collaborative wave energy test site with the U.S. Navy.
- Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, operated by Florida Atlantic University, focuses on oceancurrents and ocean thermal energy conversion and specializes in environmental baseline observation systems.