Marine energy and offshore wind projects get $18M boost from US 

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated over $18 million for 27 research and development (R&D) projects to advance marine energy and offshore wind technologies.

According to the U.S. DOE, these initiatives, which will be undertaken across 17 universities, including five minority-serving institutions, aim to tackle challenges facing marine and ocean renewable energy industries while driving innovation and expanding the deployment of renewable energy solutions.

“The oceans hold incredible potential for renewable energy to power homes, businesses, and even offshore work such as marine research. These projects harness the creativity of researchers at universities across the country to spur innovation in marine and ocean renewable energy,” said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Although still in the early stages of deployment across the U.S., the total available marine energy resource is estimated to equal nearly 60% of the country’s total power generation, the U.S. DOE noted. Even capturing a fraction of this potential could impact the nation’s energy supply.

In addition, floating offshore wind holds a 2.8 TW potential power in the U.S., more than double the current national electricity consumption if fully realized, said the U.S. DOE.

The funded projects aim to generate publicly available data and develop test platforms to identify cost reductions and improve performance for marine energy devices. Oregon State University and Rutgers University each received $500,000, while the University of Michigan secured two awards, totaling nearly $1.5 million.

Other projects focus on exploring synergies between offshore wind, marine energy, and aquaculture development. Boston University, California Polytechnic State University, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the University of New Hampshire received awards ranging from $375,000 to $497,000 under this initiative, which is jointly supported by the U.S. DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO).

A recent study led by European universities suggested that wave energy could match the cost-effectiveness of offshore wind at favorable locations by the 2030s, further emphasizing the long-term potential of this renewable resource.

Several awards are geared toward supporting undergraduate research and senior design projects in marine energy. Institutions like Baldwin Wallace University, Florida Atlantic University, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Houston, the University of Washington, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison were each awarded approximately $500,000 to foster talent and innovation in this emerging sector.

Additional projects addressing WPTO’s Marine Energy Program objectives received funding. These include $598,800 for Michigan Technological University, two $1 million awards for North Carolina State University, and multiple grants for Oregon State University, totaling nearly $2.5 million. The University of New Hampshire also secured two awards nearing $2 million, while the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Washington each received substantial funding for their initiatives.

The projects were selected through DOE’s Marine Energy University Foundational R&D funding opportunity, supported by the WPTO and WETO. 

Just recently, with support from the U.S. DOE’s WPTO, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC), together with other National Marine Energy Centers, unveiled launching a series of short courses in marine energy.

In late November, WPTO unveiled the winners of the first phase of its Power at Sea Prize, awarding $200,000 to 20 teams for marine energy concepts aimed at powering ocean-based activities.