The U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) recently released a $45 million funding opportunity to advance a comprehensive approach to tidal and current energy development in the United States. Part of President Biden’s Invest in America Agenda and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this opportunity will make the first large-scale investment in a tidal and/or current energy research, development, and demonstration site in the United States. It will also support a community-led tidal and/or current energy planning and development project.
This funding opportunity—Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Section 41006(a)(2): U.S. Tidal Energy Advancement—will support projects in two topic areas focused on advancing the tidal and current energy industry toward commercialization for utility- and community-scale applications:
- Topic area 1 will provide up to $35 million to support the development of a pilot tidal and/or current energy technology demonstration site in state waters.
- Topic area 2 will provide up to $10 million to support a community-led tidal and/or current energy planning and development project.
The deadlines for concept papers are 5 p.m. ET on June 5, 2023, for topic area 1 and 5 p.m. ET on July 13, 2023, for topic area 2. Applicants must submit a concept paper to be eligible to submit a full application.
WPTO will host an informational webinar at 3 p.m. ET on May 30, 2023, to discuss the funding opportunity and areas of focus. Learn more and register for the webinar here.