Sea Grant, DOE, NOAA Fisheries partner to invest $1M+ to support research for the co-existence of ocean energy with Northeast fishing and coastal communities



MIT Sea Grant will coordinate an ocean renewable energy research effort with the Northeast Sea Grant Consortium, leveraging a diversity of federal partners.

 

The Northeast Sea Grant Consortium, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office and Water Power Technologies Office, and NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center, announces a research funding opportunity to improve understanding of offshore renewable energy interactions with fishing and coastal communities to optimize ocean co-use.

 

This unique funding partnership will support objective, community-focused research on ocean renewable energy – including offshore wind and hydrokinetic current, tidal, and wave energies – in the U.S. Northeast for the benefit of a diversity of communities and stakeholders. 

 

With a focus on advancing community and economic resilience, the funding opportunity aims to catalyze proactive socio-economic and technology research for offshore renewable energy planning in the region. Over $1 million will be available to support research projects across three innovative areas:

 

  • Fisheries and Fishing Community Resilience
  • Coastal Community and Economic Resilience
  • Co-Location Management of Ocean Renewable Energy with Other Marine Activities
     

As the U.S. prepares to deploy renewable energy technologies in the Northeast that harness the region’s abundant natural resources, the Northeast Sea Grant Consortium and federal partners seek collaborative, multidisciplinary, and innovative proposals with results that will be valuable to a variety of stakeholders, from the fishing industry to resource managers. 

 

The funding competition is accepting pre-proposals from eligible Northeast researchers through May 14, 2021. Read more about the Request for Proposals here.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Lily Keyes, Northeast Sea Grant Consortium (keyes@mit.edu)

Scott Smullen, NOAA Communications (scott.smullen@noaa.gov)

Chris Vacarro, NOAA Communications (christopher.vaccaro@noaa.gov)

DOE, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EE.Media@ee.doe.gov)