The Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) established four National Marine Energy Centers (NMECs) to increase marine energy research and development efforts. These centers provide access to facilities and experts needed by developers to test and advance marine energy technologies.
To date, WPTO has provided funding to establish and support four NMECs across the country with different expertise and attributes specific to their geographic locations. Take a moment to read about each NMEC and the impressive R&D happening at each location.
- Atlantic Marine Energy Center, established in 2021 by the University of New Hampshire, Lehigh University, Stony Brook University, and the Coastal Studies Institute
- Hawai’i Marine Energy Center, established in 2008 by Hawai’i Natural Energy Institute
- Pacific Marine Energy Center (formerly Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center), established in 2008 by Oregon State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks
- Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center, established in 2010 by Florida Atlantic University
In 2024, WPTO made a $41 million investment, which included funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, in the NMECs. Congress also authorized up to $29 million in funding ($24 million for NMECs in general and $5 million for Atlantic Marine Energy Center specifically) toward these centers in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
Congressional Support for the NMECs
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) support for NMECs traces back to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Section 634: National Marine Renewable Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Centers stated that DOE “will award grants to institutions of higher education (or consortia thereof) for the establishment of one or more National Marine Renewable Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Centers.” As a result, WPTO issued a funding opportunity announcement that established the first three NMECs. In December 2020, WPTO announced the selection for the fourth NMEC, as well as several university-led marine energy research projects.
The universities within the NMEC network have become internationally recognized for their marine energy research and testing expertise. The NMECs have also supported several WPTO initiatives to provide access to marine energy testing, including the Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research (TEAMER) program and the University Marine Energy Research Community (UMERC).