In 2009, the DOE was appropriated $40 million to investigate advanced water power energy generation technologies. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 provided authorization to DOE to conduct research on all water power technologies and The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 calls for DOE to establish a robust program of research, development, demonstration and commercial application activities to expand marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy production. This research is executed through DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program (WHTP).

The complete FOA (DE-FOA-0000069) and PA (DE-FOA-0000070), can be viewed on the FedConnect Web site. Projects are expected to begin in Fiscal Year 2009.

The FOA. The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), for up to $12 million, subject to annual appropriations, is to support the research and development of advanced water power technologies, including both marine and hydrokinetic and conventional hydropower technologies.

“Conventional hydropower” refers to energy from any source that uses a dam, diversionary structure, or impoundment for electric power purposes. “Marine and hydrokinetic” refers to energy from: (1) Waves, tides, and currents in oceans, estuaries, and tidal areas; (2) Free flowing water in rivers, lakes, and streams; (3) Free flowing water in man-made channels; and (4) Differentials in ocean temperature (ocean thermal energy conversion). “Advanced water power” refers to both marine and hydrokinetic power and conventional hydropower, and to newer technologies with a combination of energy and environmental performance advantages relative to existing technologies.

The FOA provides industry members and industry-led partnerships the opportunity to conduct research in three topic areas, adding to the existing $7.3 million that DOE committed in 2008 to the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of advanced water power technologies:

• Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Conversion Device or Component Design and Development to develop, refine and/or test marine and hydrokinetic energy conversion devices or components.

• Marine and Hydrokinetic Site-specific Environmental Studies to investigate the environmental impacts related to the installation, testing, and operation of marine and hydrokinetic energy conversion devices.

• Advanced Water Power Market Acceleration Projects to conduct resource and cost assessments of US offshore, in-stream, ocean thermal and advanced hydropower

The PA. The Water Power R&D called for in this PA is applied science and technology development, focused on near- to medium-term actions that will significantly accelerate use of water-based energy technologies. The DOE-funded projects at Laboratories are intended to be innovative, high-risk and high-gain research that goes beyond what industry can do on its own.

Under this PA, National Laboratories may compete for DOE funding within one or more of the following 4 topic areas:

1. Supporting Research and Testing for Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy
2. Environmental Assessment and Mitigation Methods for Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy
3. Supporting Research and Testing for Hydropower
4. Environmental Assessment and Mitigation Methods for Hydropower

Resources

• Advanced Water Power Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0000069)

• Advanced Water Power Program Announcement (DE-FOA-0000070)