The Obama administration is awarding up to $11 million to a series of national research laboratories for the development of advanced water power technologies, including hydrokinetic systems.

The U.S. Department of Energy will provide funding to the following laboratories for up to three years:

- National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., for the design and testing of marine and hydrokinetic devices.

- Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., to increase the reliability and cost-effectiveness of marine and hydrokinetic devices. 

- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Sequim, Wash., to identify, analyze, and predict environmental impacts of marine and hydrokinetic energy production. 

- Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., to quantify the magnitude of environmental changes caused by marine and hydrokinetic technologies. 

- Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Ill., to develop and demonstrate models for optimizing the efficiency and environmental performance of hydropower plants.

- Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn., to evaluate fish-friendly turbine designs and measure greenhouse gas emissions in reservoirs across the country.

Also, the DOE recently announced plans to provide $37 million in economic stimulus funds for clean-energy research and development projects.  (HydroWorld 8/26/09) Companies with less than 500 employees are eligible for the grants.

Source:  HydroWorld