WPTO released its first Multi-Year Program Plan, a comprehensive report outlining the office’s future research, development, demonstration, and commercial activities.
Water Power Technologies Office
March 1, 2023
minute read time
Project Name: WPTO Multi-Year Program Plan
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) released its first Multi-Year Program Plan, a comprehensive report detailing the office’s future research, development, demonstration, and commercial activities across both hydropower and marine energy and outlining how these efforts can help meet the nation’s energy and sustainability goals.
The report details key performance goals for each of WPTO’s activity areas until 2025 and includes long-term, follow-on objectives through 2030. This report serves as a strategic vision and operational guide to help WPTO manage and coordinate its activities and communicate its mission, goals, and plans. The Multi-Year Program Plan was an integral part of the 2022 Peer Review, providing reviewers insight and guidance on the office’s strategy to which WPTO-funded projects must align.
WPTO 2021-2022 Accomplishments Report
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Natel Energy’s Restoration Hydro Turbine is the first in the industry to enable safe passage for large and small fish while also meeting installation configurations for a wide variety of hydropower facilities. -
WPTO launched the H2Os Prize, and innovators competed in two prize phases and developed new solutions that can help advance hydropower’s contributions to the grid. -
A national laboratory-led project developed a one-dimensional hydropower digital twin that virtually represents the inner workings of a real hydropower plant. -
A team of researchers optimized deep learning software and created software that can automatically detect migrating fish near hydropower facilities. -
WPTO launched the inaugural Hydropower Collegiate Competition to inspire the next generation of hydropower workers. -
Ocean Renewable Power Company developed a computational analysis tool that helped the company create new marine energy turbine foil (or blade) designs that reduce costs and increase energy capture by up to 24%. -
Researchers advance triboelectric nanogenerator system prototypes, an emerging and potentially cost-effective technology that could be used to power instruments aboard hurricane and tsunami detection or water quality monitoring systems. -
Construction continued on PacWave South, a grid-connected and pre-permitted wave energy testing facility in the United States, and WPTO selected projects that represent the first round of open-water testing at the site. -
WPTO hosted the third annual Marine Energy Collegiate Competition and selected the teams to compete in the fourth annual competition. -
DOE announced 12 competitively selected remote and island communities for the second Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project cohort.
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