Program-Supported Projects
This page contains descriptions of ongoing water power projects funded by the Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program. Most of these projects require some amount of cost-share from the industry partners in order to receive funding from the Department of Energy.
- Conventional Hydropower Technology Development Projects
- Conventional Hydropower Market Acceleration Projects
- Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Development Projects
- Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Market Acceleration Projects
Conventional Hydropower Technology Development
"Fish-Friendly" Hydropower Turbine Development and Deployment
The program funds the Electric Power Research Institute to address the engineering advancements needed for a more efficient and environmentally friendly hydropower turbine that will compete with traditional designs in the commercial market. This project will produce sufficient engineering data for the new turbine to be designed and constructed for one or more demonstration sites. The primary site for deployment is Brookfield Renewable Energy's School Street project on the Mohawk River in New York State.
Conventional Hydropower Market Acceleration
National Hydropower Asset Assessment Project
The program is creating a new database to describe the current state of the U.S. hydropower infrastructure (facility age, type, ownership, etc.), generation patterns from these facilities, and associated water availability and use. The database will integrate monthly hydrology and civil works information by river basin for a period covering the last 10 years or longer. Once assembled, the database will facilitate the study of regional patterns in generation variability, their causes, and opportunities for upgrading hydropower facilities to stabilize and increase generation.
Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Development
Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology and Project Database
The program maintains the Web-based Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Database, which provides up-to-date information on marine and hydrokinetic energy technologies and projects in the United States and around the world. The database includes wave, tidal, current, and ocean thermal energy technologies.
It contains information on energy conversion products, companies active in the industry, and development of projects in the water. Depending on the needs of the user, the database can present a snapshot of projects in a given region, assess the progress of a certain technology type, or provide a comprehensive view of the entire marine and hydrokinetic energy industry.
Hydrodynamic Testing Facilities Database
The program maintains the Web-based Hydrodynamic Testing Facilities Database, a searchable database that provides technology developers with key statistics for commercial, academic, and government testing facilities in the United States.
Wave Technology Projects
WaveConnect Wave Energy In-Water Testing and Development Project
The program funds Pacific Gas and Electric Company to complete engineering design, conduct baseline environmental studies, and submit all license, construction, and operation applications required for a tidal energy demonstration plant at two sites in Northern California.
Development and Demonstration of an Oscillating Water Column Power System
The program funds Concepts ETI, Inc. to prepare detailed design, manufacturing, and installation drawings of a bi-directional turbine for application in a floating Oceanlinx oscillating water column wave energy converter. Concepts ETI will work with Oceanlinx to manufacture and install the system in Maui, Hawaii.
Tidal Technology Projects
Improved Structure and Fabrication of Large, High-Power Kinetic Hydropower Systems and Rotors
The program funds Verdant Power to design, analyze, develop for manufacturing, fabricate, and test an improved turbine blade structure to allow for larger, higher-power and more cost-effective tidal power turbines.
Puget Sound Tidal Energy In-Water Testing and Development Project
The program funds Snohomish County Public Utility District to conduct in-water testing and demonstration of tidal flow technology as a first step toward potential construction of a commercial-scale power plant. They will complete engineering design and obtain construction approvals for a tidal pilot demonstration plant in the Admiralty Inlet region of Puget Sound.
Advanced Composite Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Cold Water Pipe Project
The program funds Lockheed Martin to validate a significantly lower-cost and high-reliability technique for manufacturing and installing coldwater pipes to help create a more cost-effective and durable Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion system.
Marine and Hydrokinetic Technology Market Acceleration
Assessment of Energy Production Potential from Tidal Streams in the United States
The program funds the Georgia Tech Research Corporation to conduct an assessment of the energy production potential from tidal streams in the United States. Georgia Tech is using an advanced ocean circulation numerical model to predict tidal currents and to compute both available and effective tidal current power densities for distribution to project developers and the general public.
Guidelines for Developers and a Framework for Siting Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Projects
The program funds Pacific Energy Ventures, LLC, of Portland, Oregon to develop guidelines that will help developers navigate the regulatory process for siting projects and to create a framework to identify critical project siting information and assess potential environmental, navigation and competing-use impacts.
Re Vision Consulting, LLC, of Sacramento, California, will establish baseline technology-based scenarios to identify potential concerns in the siting of marine and hydrokinetic energy devices, and to provide information and data to industry and regulators. PCCI, Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia will provide improved guidance to help developers understand how marine and hydrokinetic devices can be sited to minimize navigational impact and to expedite the U.S. Coast Guard review process.
International Standards Development for Marine and Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy
The program funds Science Applications International Corporation to serve as the U.S. industry representative in four standards development groups of the International Electrotechnical Commission. Increased U.S. participation in the International Electrotechnical Commission will facilitate the development of industry standards, provide consistency and predictability to standards development, and better represent U.S. interests in international standards development.
National Marine Renewable Energy Centers
The program has established two university-led National Marine Renewable Energy Centers to be used for device testing. These centers are located on coasts and will site, permit, and develop open-water testing berths, allowing researchers to investigate marine and estuary conditions.
- Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center: Oregon State University and the University of Washington will partner to develop the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, which will have a full range of capabilities to support wave and tidal energy development in the United States. The Center's activities will facilitate device commercialization, inform regulatory and policy decisions, and close key information gaps.
- National Marine Renewable Energy Center in Hawaii: The National Renewable Marine Energy Center in Hawaii, run through the University of Hawaii, will facilitate the development and implementation of commercial wave energy systems and will help the private sector develop ocean thermal energy conversion systems for use in Hawaii and around the world.
Wave Energy Resource Assessment and GIS Database for the United States
The program funds the Electric Power Research Institute to determine the maximum amount of practicable extractable offshore wave energy along U.S. coastlines. These data will inform policymakers, project and technology developers, investors, researchers, non-governmental groups, and federal and state government agencies.
The outputs of this project will be used to estimate the total available and extractable wave energy resources on a state-by-state basis, as well as regional and national totals. The project's goal is to accelerate the investigation of the potential contribution of wave energy resources to the U.S. energy supply.