US Congresswomen Nanette Barragán (California) and Suzanne Bonamici (Oregan) have brought to Congress their Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act, new legislation that would invest $1 billion in advancing marine energy towards full scale commercialisation.
The Act would provide unprecedented levels of funding to the Department of Energy’s Waterpower Technologies Office for demonstration projects, research and development, detailed resource potential mapping, workforce development, and more efficient permitting processes.
“Nearly 40 % of the US population lives in coastal communities where marine energy resources are abundant and offer tremendous potential to power our communities with clean, renewable energy, including California,” said Ms Barragán. “With the Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act, we can usher in an emerging clean energy resource to help our nation and our communities meet clean energy and decarbonisation goals, reduce pollution, and create high-paying jobs.”
“The scale of the climate crisis requires us to use every possible approach to rapidly transition to a clean energy economy. Marine energy has the potential to tap into the immense power of the ocean, but the industry’s progress has been hampered by inconsistent and limited federal investment. [The Act would catalyse the development of the marine energy field and support the coastal communities where technology demonstrations occur. These investments will create good clean technology jobs and reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions,” said Ms Bonamici.
This federal legislation parallels the upcoming wave energy demonstration project to be implemented by Eco Wave Power and Shell MRE at Altasea, Port of Los Angeles, where Eco Wave Power will install the first US onshore wave energy pilot station during the coming months.
“For too long, this useful source of power has had a back seat to investments in other renewable and non-renewable forms of energy,” said Terry Tamminen, CEO of AltaSea. “With this bill, Representative Barragán puts wave and tidal energy on the map.”
