DOE to award $27M in funding to accelerate ocean wave energy technology

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding $27 million for research and development projects to convert energy from ocean waves into electricity.

Specifically, this funding opportunity seeks to advance wave energy technologies toward commercial viability. Wave energy is captured when wind blows over the surface of open water in oceans and lakes. A wave energy converter (WEC) is needed to convert the captured energy into electricity. However, testing marine-energy technologies in the open ocean can be difficult due to permitting challenges and the few available test sites.

“Oregon is helping lead the nation in our efforts to harness the unlimited energy potential in America’s oceans and lakes,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said. “With wave energy, we have the opportunity to add more renewable power to the grid and deploy more sustainable energy to hard to reach communities. DOE’s investments in America’s businesses and universities developing these new technologies will propel our clean energy future.”

In 2016, DOE partnered with Oregon State University to build the PacWave South test facility — located off the coast of Newport, Ore. This site will be the nation’s first accredited, grid-connected, pre-permitted, open-water wave energy test facility.

The new funding opportunity, the Advancing Wave Energy Technologies through Open Water Testing at PacWave, will be the first round of activities supported at the PacWave South test site. Work performed under this FOA will also produce data that will benefit the WEC research and development community. This data will include wave, wind, and ocean current resource measurements, geotechnical measurements, and environmental monitoring measurements. This data will help improve future WEC system designs for PacWave and reduce the costs of future deployments.

“The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet, and we can capture the power of its waves, currents, and tides to help power our homes, buildings, and communities. As we transition to a 100 percent clean energy economy, marine energy has tremendous potential as one of the last untapped renewable energy sources. Federal investment will help unlock it. This funding for research, development, and demonstration efforts at the PacWave testing facility will catalyze this promising industry and build on the innovation of Oregon State researchers and Oregon employers,” U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) said.

Through this opportunity, the DOE will award up to $15 million for testing of WEC system designs intended for remote and microgrid applications; up to $5 million for advancing WEC designs for PacWave; and up to $7 million to directly leverage the PacWave test facility to perform impactful wave energy R&D.

Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with universities and other educational institutions to help develop a pipeline of future marine energy experts in the United States. The DOE also encourages the participation of underserved communities and underrepresented groups. Concept papers are due Aug. 13, and full applications are due Oct. 5. An informational webinar is scheduled for July 22.