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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Water Power Budget

In fiscal year 2013, the Water Power Program's budget is $55.6 million for both marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) and hydropower technologies. On this page, you can learn more about the program's budget for this fiscal year as well as budgets in previous fiscal years.

Budget History

In 2008, the Energy Department established the Water Power Program to support both MHK and hydropower technologies. Prior to establishment of the Water Power Program, the Energy Department funded hydropower activities to develop cost-competitive technologies and reduce environmental impacts of hydropower from 1977-2006.

Graph showing the Water Power Budget History from Fiscal Year 2008 to the 2014 budget request. See the table below for the data.
Fiscal Year Funding
2008 $10.0M
2009 $40.0M
2010 $50.0M
2011 $30.0M
2012 $59.0M
2013 $55.6M
2014 Request $55.0M

Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request Priority Activities

For information on the Water Power Program's $55 million Fiscal Year 2014 budget request to Congress, please see the full budget request on the DOE Chief Financial Officers' website. The Water Power request can be found in Volume 3PDF on page EE-151. Priority activity areas include:

  • MHK Technology Systems and Components Research & Development (R&D): R&D to develop advanced MHK systems and component technologies to increase energy capture, reliability, and survivability for lower costs.
  • Wave Energy Converter Test Facility: Support development and operation of a controlled conditions deep-tank test facility, including collaboration with the U.S. Navy, to enable testing of wave energy conversion devices.
  • Hydropower R&D: Develop advanced hydropower technologies that drive down the cost of new hydropower project development, including standardized generating units with improved energy performance, high efficiency electrical components, and low environmental impact technologies.
  • Pumped-Storage Hydropower: Study and develop new, smaller, pumped-storage designs that will leverage manufacturing economies of scale and open new markets by avoiding many constraints associated with larger‐scale deployments.
  • Manufacturing R&D: Develop advanced manufacturing for making water power technologies lightweight and modular to reduce the cost of the construction, deployment, and maintenance.