New legislation proposes $1B investment to propel marine energy commercialization in US

The Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act, legislation that would invest $1 billion to propel marine energy toward full-scale commercialization, has been introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Led by Congresswomen Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), the Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act allocates significant funding to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (U.S. DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) for demonstration projects, research and development, resource potential mapping, workforce development, and streamlined permitting processes.

“Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in coastal communities where marine energy resources are abundant and offer tremendous potential to power our communities with clean, renewable energy, including California,” said Barragán. 

“With the Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act, we can usher in an emerging clean energy resource to help our nation and our communities meet clean energy and decarbonization goals, reduce pollution, and create high-paying jobs.” 

There is an upcoming marine energy demonstration project by Swedish-Israeli wave energy developer Eco Wave Power at Altasea, an ocean technology hub at the Port of Los Angeles. The company is to install the first U.S. onshore wave energy pilot station in the coming months at the port.

“The scale of the climate crisis requires us to use every possible approach to rapidly transition to a clean energy economy. Marine energy has the potential to tap into the immense power of the ocean, but the industry’s progress has been hampered by inconsistent and limited federal investment,” said Bonamici.

“I’m grateful to introduce the Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act with Representative Barragán to catalyze the development of the marine energy field and support the coastal communities where technology demonstrations occur. These investments will create good clean technology jobs and reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act is cosponsored by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR), Ed Case (HI), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Kevin Mullin (CA), Val Hoyle (OR), Troy Carter (LA), Salud Carbajal (CA), and Anne Kuster (NH).

Supporting organizations and businesses include Altasea, Anacapa Wave, Aquantis, Atlantic Marine Energy Center, Biosonics, Bluewater Network, C-Power, CalWave, Cardinal Engineering, DLZ Corporation, Ecomerit, Eco Wave Power, Emrgy, FluxMagic, Hawaii Marine Energy Center, Hydrokinetic Energy, Littoral Power, Marine Energy Council, National Hydropower Association, Ocean Conservancy, and Ocean Energy USA. 

Other supporting organizations and businesses are Ocean Power Technologies, Ocean Renewable Power Company, Oscilla Power, Pacific Environment, Pacific Marine Energy Center, Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, PacWave, PB Mechanical Consulting Service, Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, Streamwise Development, Tidal Energy, Tide Mill Institute, Thompson Metal Fab, Triton Systems, Verdant Power, Water Bros Diesel, and 3U Technologies.

“For too long, this useful source of power has had a back seat to investments in other renewable and non-renewable forms of energy. “With this bill, Representative Barragán puts wave and tidal energy on the map — and does so in a very meaningful way,” said Terry Tamminen, CEO of AltaSea. 

In terms of other recent activities from the U.S. DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), the department disclosed plans to provide up to $112.5 million to advance the commercial readiness of wave energy technologies through open water testing and system validation.