The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) have unveiled a $14.5 million funding opportunity dedicated to foundational research at domestic institutions of higher education. This initiative aims to address challenges faced by the marine energy sector, fostering innovation and development.
The funding opportunity aligns with the Biden administration's clean energy objectives, targeting a clean electricity sector by 2035 and a net-zero-emissions economy by 2050. Marine energy, derived from waves, tides, ocean and river currents, and other natural sources, holds substantial potential. Despite not being widely deployed, the total available marine energy resource in the United States accounts for approximately 57% of the country's power generation.
Floating offshore wind, another facet of this opportunity, boasts 2.8TW of potential power in the US – more than double the current national electricity consumption. The funding initiative will support projects across four key areas:
- Up to $5 million for projects generating publicly available data and test platforms, aiming to identify cost reductions and performance improvement pathways for marine energy devices.
- Up to $1.5 million for projects exploring synergies between offshore wind and marine energy and aquaculture development, in collaboration with WETO.
- Up to $2 million to support undergraduate senior design and/or research projects in marine energy.
- Up to $6 million for projects in an open topic area, allowing applicants to propose activities addressing marine energy industry needs not covered in other areas.
Anticipating up to 33 awards ranging from $200,000 to $1,000,000, the Marine Energy University Foundational R&D funding opportunity requires applicants to submit a concept paper by February 20, 2024, to be eligible for a full application.
The WPTO and WETO will host an informational webinar on January 24, 2024, at 3 p.m. ET, providing insights into the funding opportunity and focus areas. Interested parties can register for the webinar.
