Ocean Renewable Power Company of Portland has received $3,676,997 in funding from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). 

“As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I support funding for the Department of Energy and ARPA-E programs that help move us away from our reliance on fossil fuels. Ocean Renewable Power Company will use this funding to think creatively about new sources of energy that come right from the water in our own backyard. If we’re to combat the climate crisis, we must invest in research projects that help us push new, innovative technologies,” Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine).

The funds came from ARPA-E’s new program, Submarine Hydrokinetic And Riverine Kilo-megawatt Systems (SHARKS). SHARKS teams will develop new designs for economically competitive Hydrokinetic Turbines (HKT) for tidal and riverine currents. Ocean Renewable Power Company will use this funding to propose a novel hydrokinetic energy system.  

Ocean Renewable Power Company invests heavily in rural communities, and since 2010 has brought more than $35 million into Maine by employing local tradespeople, engineers, and other necessary support staff in places like Portland, Eastport, and Lubec. Ocean Renewable Power invests in rural places where the power is generally supplied by a diesel fueled system to better serve the populations, thereby creating affordable, clean, carbon-free energy production.