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Supports efforts to move the generation of energy from waves, ocean currents, and tides from the laboratory to part of the nation’s alternative energy future. Oregon State University and the University of Washington successfully competed to be jointly named the U.S. Department of Energy’s Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, which seeks to accelerate the development of marine energy by providing outreach and services to potential users of the center and undertaking educational outreach and citizen engagement activities. These efforts would complement and accelerate existing work that is funded by annual USDOE grants, expediting the development and assessment of the impacts of this technology. Funds would support high-priority, ancillary studies and efforts to develop a mobile (non-grid connected) floating infrastructure of up to five test berths and a central junction box for wave energy device testing. The mobile test berths will be available to industry and public entities in need of a location to test wave energy devices and their impacts. Funding would also be used to develop an advanced and comprehensive mobile package for tidal energy site and device characterization, as well as develop and instrument a continuous flow water flume for tidal energy device and array optimization studies. Finally, the project would analyze the potential impacts of marine energy infrastructure and devices on the marine ecosystems by conducting ecological and environmental studies and modeling.
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