Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding Ocean Renewable Power Company of Portland with a grant of $3,875,859 to develop innovative hydropower technology. The company will develop hydropower turbines that fit the specific constraints of rivers.

“Renewable energy is the key to a clean future for our children and grandchildren, and Maine has huge potential to lead clean energy innovation—both in wind and tidal power,” said Pingree. “I’m thrilled to see Ocean Renewable Power Company receive this grant, which will help support Maine’s position as a leader on tidal power, and will spur job growth in Maine.”

“This award will facilitate additional product innovation in ORPC’s power systems that will enable our company to enter more markets and assist more customers with an economically feasible, no-carbon, renewable energy solution,” said John Ferland, ORPC President. “The Department of Energy’s funding award process is competitively rigorous, and we are honored that the agency selected our proposal.”

The grant funding will be used to modify their turbine design and equipment to facilitate hydrokinetic infrastructure building, making it more useful in remote, diverse markets and communities like those found across the state of Maine. Their new technology would help utilize tidal power and water flow to create renewable, carbon-free electricity.

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 were the power is generally supplied by a diesel fueled system to better serve the populations, thereby creating affordable, clean, carbon-free energy production. 

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