The latest edition of the “On the Road with WPTO” series explores team members’ visits to the Pacific Northwest, a coastal city in the Netherlands, and other locations to meet with researchers, industry representatives, and others working in water power!
Water Power Technologies Office
April 26, 2024
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With an ongoing aim to nurture connections with people across the hydropower and marine energy sectors, staff in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) continue to hit the road! This second installment of the "On the Road with WPTO" series features what office staff learned from meeting with key players in hydropower and marine energy domestically and abroad and how these interactions could help them advance water power.
Read on to learn why WPTO staff stopped by the Pacific Northwest, a historic coastal city in the Netherlands, and more.
In September 2023, staff from WPTO and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) joined DOE's Chief of Staff for Renewable Energy and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Innovation to witness an open-water test of a marine energy device (supported through the Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research program) near PNNL's Sequim campus. The group also discussed the Ocean Climate Action Plan in an interdisciplinary meeting with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, academic partners, and other members of the Sequim community.
In addition, staff saw the RV Resilience, PNNL's hybrid vessel that will operate on diesel engines or onboard electric battery banks. This vessel, which was under construction during the visit, will advance energy innovation and the decarbonization of marine transportation and enable research and testing of ocean-based renewable power. The WPTO team also saw Jonesy, a new autonomous electric research vessel, and observed algae and kelp farm experiments and Ebb Carbon’s marine carbon dioxide removal system.
WPTO staff traveled throughout the Pacific Northwest to visit four hydropower dams. They made stops along the Columbia River to learn about regional challenges, research needs, community perspectives, and innovations necessary to support fleet modernization and sustainability. Staff also toured several locations where irrigation systems may be eligible for modernization. The team met with facility owners and operators, water resource experts, Tribal representatives, and environmental community members whose insights could help inform how program funding and government resources are allocated to optimally support hydropower solutions.
WPTO staff attended the University Marine Energy Research Community (UMERC) Conference to connect with university students and faculty, marine energy researchers, and experts from national laboratories. Led by the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, UMERC is a WPTO-sponsored program that fosters collaboration and supports information sharing across the U.S. marine energy research community to align research efforts, close gaps, and solve challenges. WPTO also kicked off the 2024 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition during the conference.
In conjunction with the conference, WPTO hosted an input session on a roadmap for advanced materials and manufacturing in marine energy. Participants shared their expertise on needed capabilities and research related to polymers, mooring, anchoring, umbilical systems, corrosion, and fouling. They considered potential WPTO actions and opportunities for collaboration between developers, universities, and national laboratories with the goal of derisking and reducing the costs of device deployments. This collaborative environment enabled WPTO to better understand challenges the marine energy research community faces.
During the Clean Currents conference, hosted by the National Hydropower Association, WPTO kicked off the 2024 Hydropower Collegiate Competition, hosted competitors for the final phase of the Hydropower Operations Optimization Prize, featured talks from national laboratory researchers at the DOE booth, and more. Read the full recap of events the office hosted and staff supported at the conference.
Several WPTO staff members connected with experts and other partners in the sector at the Ocean Energy Europe Conference and Exhibition. This meeting was designed to bring the international ocean energy sector together to share best practices, learn from researchers and developers at different stages of technology development, and identify opportunities for collaboration. For example, Elaine Buck, a marine energy technology manager in WPTO, met with nearly 20 developers to learn how they approach marine energy funding in their countries.
For marine energy technology to be successfully commercialized, the industry must continuously refine international standards and processes. That's why WPTO meets annually with the United States' Technical Advisory Group to the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Committee 114 to develop international standards for marine energy, identify future challenges, and address current gaps that could hinder marine energy commercialization.
The story doesn't end here! WPTO staff are already on the road to their next stops. Watch for the next update on their journey to support the water power sector!
Did you know WPTO hosts events, too? Check out the office's upcoming webinars, including its next Semiannual Stakeholder Webinar on Thursday, May 9, 2024!
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