The Energy Department today announced a $22 million funding opportunity for new research, development, and demonstration projects to advance marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) energy systems that generate electricity from waves, tides, and currents and to improve environmental monitoring technologies that will help minimize environmental impacts. The funding will support projects that reduce the cost of electricity from MHK systems and help protect the marine environment, thus increasing sustainable electricity generation from ocean and river energy resources.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy expects to fund up to 10 projects that address technology development and demonstration, as well as market acceleration and deployment. Specifically, the funding opportunity will support projects that:

       1. Integrate next-generation MHK hardware and software technologies into existing wave
           and current energy conversion systems and demonstrate improved systems in
           full-scale, open-water tests for a one-year period; and

       2. Design, test, and validate environmental monitoring technologies that quantify the
           impacts of MHK systems in marine settings, such as acoustics, electromagnetic
           fields created by MHK devices and subsea cables, and interactions between these
           devices and marine animals.

For more information, read the full opportunity at the Energy Department’s Funding Opportunity Exchange website .

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy accelerates development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. Go to water.energy.gov for information on our Water Power Program's funding opportunities that sponsor the development of innovative technologies that generate renewable, environmentally friendly, and cost-competitive electricity from water resources. To learn more about how MHK devices capture energy from waves, tides and currents, view this Energy 101 video.