Members of the University of Southern California team celebrate their win in the 2026 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition. Photo from Sarah Yeoman, Yeoman Photo LLC.
Top Teams Claim Prizes at 2026 Hydropower and Marine Energy Collegiate Competition Final Events, and DOE Welcomes a Record 45 Teams for the 2027 Season Two teams have snagged the top prizes in the 2026 Hydropower and Marine Energy Collegiate Competition finals, and 45 others have risen to the top … [continued]
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) researcher Alec Schnabel tests the custom-built charge controller in the Water Power Instrumentation Laboratory on NLR's Flatirons Campus. Photo by Taylor Mankle, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Latest HERO WEC Mission Status Update Examines How New Charge Controller Design Addresses Critical Challenge in Wave Energy Industry Since 2024, researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) have been improving the overall design of NLR’s hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter—or HERO WEC. Their work aims … [continued]
ChatGPT generated image of a CorPower array contrasted with a much more bankable, lower maintenance offshore wind turbine
After publishing on a wave energy proposal for offshore data centers, I received a useful challenge. A reader pointed to CorPower Ocean as a counterexample. That was worth taking seriously. CorPower is not a render-first startup selling a fantasy of floating artificial intelligence infrastructure in the deep Pacific. It has … [continued]
ChatGPT generated image of offshore wave generation unit AI inference engine communicating with low-earth orbit satellites
I have been seeing LinkedIn posts about Panthalassa’s wave-powered AI data-center concept recently, and the reaction they’ve been getting is familiar. Big funding round. AI power bottleneck. Ocean energy. No grid connection. No land constraint. Autonomous machines. A new category. It had all the ingredients of a story built to … [continued]
National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) and Sandia National Laboratories researchers gather at NLR's Flatirons Campus to test and refine open-source modeling tools, such as WEC-Sim, to simulate wave energy converters with greater accuracy and flexibility so developers can predict performance and reduce risk before deploying devices in the ocean. Photo by Taylor Mankle, National Laboratory of the Rockies.
Modeling Advancements Could Help Developers Build More Robust, Seaworthy Devices Wave energy technologies can provide reliable, local power for autonomous underwater vehicles, and at-sea applications across U.S. coastal regions, especially where traditional energy supply is limited or costly. Although some wave energy devices have demonstrated promising performance, most are still … [continued]
An test installation at the of a 16 kW/64 kWh flywheel system at the Meralco Power Tech Lab to serve as a proof-of-concept and testing site. (Photo from Meralco)
Seven months ago, Tina Casey wrote about the comeback of kinetic energy storage systems, pointing to renewed investment and attention after years of being overshadowed by batteries. Her piece, “$200 Million For Renewables-Friendly Flywheel Energy Storage,” captures a shift that has been building quietly: flywheels are no longer a niche … [continued]
A newly released study by People of Asia for Climate Solutions (PACS) and New Energy Nexus (NEX) underscores the potential of deeper Philippines–China cooperation to speed up the country’s shift to renewable energy, while unlocking economic and technological gains for both sides. Titled “Bridging Opportunities: A Roadmap for China–Philippines Renewable … [continued]
A new round of tidal energy activity is beginning to surface in the US, including a plan to install slim, powerful tidal turbines from the Scottish firm Orbital Marine Power in Washington State.
ChatGPT generated illustration of a ballast-balanced 1,100 TEU feeder vessel at berth, showing containerized battery swap operations, quay-side charging infrastructure, and high-voltage shore connection
Most maritime battery studies are already obsolete. That is not a criticism of the researchers who wrote them. It is a recognition that their assumptions were grounded in the battery costs and energy densities available at the time. Several of the most detailed recent merchant shipping studies modeled battery system … [continued]
Remote communities in the United States, who often rely on imported diesel to power their microgrids, are exploring the viability of using the powerful currents of free-flowing rivers to produce electricity using novel technologies like this hydrokinetic device installed on Alaska’s Kvichak River in 2019. Photo from ORPC and Igiugig Village Council.
Webinar Series Will Highlight How Researchers Test and De-Risk Marine Energy Microgrid Technologies in the Lab In remote places where water flows freely but electricity often does not, the potential to harness the power of waves, currents, and tides is palpable. But is it possible? Although marine energy technologies like … [continued]
