The U.S. Energy Department announced $4 million to engage America’s research universities in the effort to accelerate the development of the emerging marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) energy industry in the United States.
This funding will support high-impact research projects designed to enable the capture of renewable wave and tidal energy, while supporting the growth of a globally competitive MHK workforce.
A consortium of universities will receive funding to optimize operations, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the components and performance of MHK systems over three years. The selected universities will also pursue a range of related water power research projects to develop and evaluate distributed applications, measure and model wave and tidal resources, and enhance environmental monitoring techniques and instruments.
The Energy Department seeks a consortium that demonstrates the ability to leverage its field capabilities and expertise in order to address strategic opportunities within the Department’s MHK technology development portfolio. The consortium’s research and development activities will be implemented in collaboration with the Energy Department on a year-to-year basis to advance America’s water power industry.
Press Release, April 14, 2014; Image: JSquish