Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO)

The Water Power Technologies Office researches, tests, evaluates, and develops innovative technologies capable of generating renewable, environmentally responsible, and cost-effective electricity from water resources. This includes hydropower as well as marine & hydrokinetic (MHK) energy technologies.The Water Power Porgram identifies and undertakes RD & D to assess the potential extractable energy from water resources and facilitates the development and deployment of renewable, environmentally-sound, and cost-effective energy from domestic rivers, estuaries, and marine waters. MHK technologies capture energy from waves, tides, ocean currents, the natural flow of water in rivers, and marine thermal gradients without building new dams or diversions. Conventional hydropower uses dams, diversionary structures, and impoundments to generate electric power from water resources. The Water Power Program conducts work in four key areas at the forefront of water power research: developing innovative renewable water power technologies, breaking down market barriers to deployment, building the infrastructure to test new technologies, and assessing water power resources for integration into our nation's grid.

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