Marine Energy News
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April 26, 2012
Maine PUC Approves Long-Term Contract Terms for ORPC’s Maine Tidal Energy Project
Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) announced on April 24, 2012 that the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved the primary contract terms of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for ORPC’s Maine Tidal Energy Project located in Washington County. The PUC’s order directs the three Maine investor-owned utilities, Bangor Hydro, CMP and Maine Public Service, to negotiate 20-year PPAs with ORPC for the project’s approximately 4-megawatt output based on the approved term sheet. ORPC expects to complete the PPAs in the next several weeks. These will be the first long-term PPAs for tidal energy in the United
States. -
March 23, 2012
DOE Water Power Program Releases Notice of Intent for Wave Energy Generation Device Deployment Opportunity
On Tuesday, March 20, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Program notified potential future applicants of an upcoming Funding Opportunity Announcement tentatively titled, “In-Water Wave Energy Conversion (WEC) Device Testing Support.” DOE intends to fund one industry-led project that will deploy and test a WEC device for one year. The device will be deployed at the Navy Wave Energy Test Site facility in Kaneohe Bay on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu.
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February 22, 2012
New UK Report on Wave Energy Obstacles and Opportunities
See link below regarding link to new report mandated by British Parliament on obstacles and opportunities for Britain to scale up wave energy. The report, "Energy and Climate Change - Eleventh Report
The Future of Marine Renewables in the UK," has several recommendations relevant to U.S. efforts to build a marine technology energy industry. -
August 19, 2011
UMass Dartmouth-based Marine Renewable Energy Center conducts first in-ocean technology test in Massachusetts
The first in-ocean demonstration project of a tidal energy device in Massachusetts was recently completed by UMass Dartmouth's New England Marine Renewable Energy Center (MREC) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) as officials outlined plans to establish a 300 square mile first-in-the-nation test site off Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.
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August 10, 2011
Marine Energy Demonstration hosted by MREC on August 15th
Information Contact: John Miller, Executive Director, New England MREC, 508.999.6732. J2miller@umassd.edu
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August 10, 2011
New Research in Puget Sound on Tidal Ocean Energy
Experiments are under way to test the effects that a proposed tidal ocean energy project would have on wildlife in Washington's Puget Sound.
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August 10, 2011
New Carbon Trust Report on Accelerating Marine Energy
The Carbon Trust released in July an update on marine energy activities and support: Accelerating Marine Energy.
This report provides an excellent overview of the state of the industry, updated cost of energy estimates for both tidal and wave power, as well as an overview of opportunities for cost reductions. -
July 21, 2011
Hydrokinetics: Quest For Renewable Energy Turns Back To Water
Huffington Post GREEN blog by Alan Sayre, July 18, 2011. This is an interesting post about the potential future for hydrokinetic power generation in rivers.
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July 18, 2011
DOE/EERE Marine and Hydrokinetic Environmental Research Webinar Series
Kickoff Wednesday, July 27, 2011
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (EDT) -
July 18, 2011
US Tidal Energy Resources Map
Tidal energy—one of the fastest growing emerging technologies in the renewable sector—holds great promise for clean energy generation. And now, a first of its kind database gives researchers deeper insight into the potential of this vast energy resource for the United States.
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July 15, 2011
New Carbon Trust Report: "Accelerating Marine Energy"
The best marine energy sites could be cost-competitive with nuclear and onshore wind by 2025 with accelerated and targeted innovation, according to a new report from the Carbon Trust.
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March 3, 2011
UK Minister for Climate Change Sets Out Government Support for Marine Energy
Speaking today at the RukWave and Tidal conference in London, Greg Barker, the minister for Climate Change, gave some insights into the future level of government support for the nascent UK marine power industry.
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October 6, 2010
OREC Releases Overview of Tax Benefits for MHK Industry
The Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition (OREC) has prepared an overview of tax benefits for the MHK industry here. As the spreadsheet shows, MHK receives more benefits than it did five years ago, but at the same time, it lacks parity with other renewables: MHK projects do not qualify for 5 year MACRS, and are only eligible for half of the PTC available to other renewables. OREC continues to work to achieve parity.
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March 17, 2009
Interior and FERC Announce Agreement on Offshore Renewable Energy Development
In a joint statement issued today Secretary of the Interior (DOI), Ken Salazar and Acting Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Jon Wellinghoff announced that the two agencies have confirmed their intent to work together to facilitate the permitting of renewable energy in offshore waters.
'Our renewable energy is too important for bureaucratic turf battles to slow down our progress. I am proud that we have reached an agreement with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding our respective roles in approving offshore renewable energy projects. This agreement will help sweep aside red tape so that our country can capture the great power of wave, tidal, wind and solar power off our coasts,' Secretary Salazar said.
'FERC is pleased to be working with the Department of the Interior and Secretary Salazar on a procedure that will help get renewable energy projects off the drawing board and onto the Outer Continental Shelf,' Acting FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said.
Below is the joint Statement between DOI and FERC signed by Secretary Salazar and Acting Chairman Wellinghoff:
