Ocean Included in Senate Energy Bill

Senate Passes Energy Bill 85-12

The United States Senate today passed the Energy Policy Act
of 2005 with Ocean Renewable Energy Amendments covering the Renewable Energy
Production Incentives, Mandatory Purchase Requirements, and Production Tax
Credits for ocean renewable energy produced from tidal, current and wave
technologies.

Additionally, the bill includes language, similar to the
House version, that encourages the Secretary of Energy to provide funding for
the assessment of ocean energy technologies. Also, included in the Bill is a Federal Renewable Power Standard (RPS)
that has Ocean Energy listed as a qualified renewable. This RPS has a national goal of forcing the U.S.to derive
10% of its energy needs from renewables by the year 2020.

 Both H.R. 6 and S. 10, the House and Senate Bills, will go
into Joint Conference where differences in the two bills will be negotiated and
a final bill, if agreed upon, will be presented to the President for signing
into law.

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Become an OREC Member!

Membership

Membership in the Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition (OREC) supports the promotion of ocean renewable technologies through direct lobbying and education efforts. Our oceans possess vast resources that can be engaged to provide electric energy, hydrogen, and fresh water  with the right technologies.  Our goal is to promote the responsible, renewable, sustainable use of these resources through proactive stewardship and development of ocean energy technologies. Benefits and privileges are outlined below.

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What Is Ocean Energy?

What is ocean energy?

Ocean energy refers to a range of technologies that utilize the oceans to generate electricity.   Many ocean technologies are also adaptable to non-impoundment uses in other water bodies such as lakes or rivers.  These technologies are can be separated into three main categories:

Wave Energy Converters:  These systems extract the power of ocean waves and convert it into electricity.  Typically, these systems use either a water column or some type of surface or just-below-surface buoy to capture the wave power.  In addition to oceans, some lakes may offer sufficient wave activity to support wave energy converter technology.

Tidal/Current:  These systems capture the energy of ocean currents below the wave surface and convert them into electricity.  Typically, these systems rely on underwater turbines, either horizontal or vertical, which rotate in either the ocean current or changing tide (either one way or bi-directionally), almost like an underwater windmill.  These technologies can be sized or adapted for ocean or for use in lakes or non-impounded river sites. 

Ocean Thermal Energy Technology (OTEC) OTEC generates electricity through the temperature differential in warmer surface water and colder deep water.  Of ocean technologies, OTEC has the most limited applicability in the United States because it requires a 40 degree temperature differential that is typically available in locations like Hawaii and other more tropical climates.

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Cost Analysis of PTC for Wave By EPRI Ocean Project Manager

As discussed in this post, the Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition has filed testimony in support of a Production Tax Credit (PTC) for ocean, wave and current technologies.  We’ve also been working with contacts in the Senate to draft language for the PTC that’s broad enough to capture a wide range of  wave, tidal, thermal and current technology with applications in oceans and non-impounded, free flowing lakes and rivers.

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OREC Files Testimony on Production Tax Credit Before House SubCommittee

Although newly formed, OREC is fast on its way to making an impact on national legislation.  Here, you can read OREC’s Written Testimony
(Word document) before the Subcomittee on Select Revenue Measures of the House Committee on Ways and Means.  We’ll be working on the Senate side as well to ensure inclusion of a production tax credit for ocean wave, current and tidal renewable developers.  It is anticipated that any PTC legislation will eventually be rolled into the larger energy bill which many sources believe is likely to pass this time around.  We will keep you posted here.