Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced that Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) of Portland will receive $3,615,260 from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office to build, test, and operate a modular current energy converter. This project will support the development of current energy converters (CECs), which convert kinetic energy from river water into other usable forms of clean energy.

“Climate change isn’t slowing down for us to develop new energy sources—we must adapt, research, and learn quickly in order to meet this moment and offer real solutions to Mainers,” said Pingree. “Current energy conversion systems offer immense potential in Maine, where our rivers are great in number and great in strength. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee and a longtime advocate for funding for this program, I’m proud this large grant is coming to Ocean Renewable Power Company at a critical moment. I’m appreciative that the Department of Energy is supporting local leaders here in Maine as we tailor climate solutions to our needs and natural resources.”

“ORPC is thrilled with today’s announcement from DOE. Advancing this technology platform is aligned with our company’s aggressive goals to develop cost effective solutions that will enable broad market adoption. In addition to bolstering our strong partnerships within the state of Maine, we look forward to identifying opportunities to deploy this technology across the U.S. and abroad,” said Stuart Davies, CEO, ORPC.

The project was originally awarded $349,994 through a competitive funding opportunity announced in 2019 by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office to develop and test modular CEC systems that can be efficiently deployed and retrieved without significant infrastructure or specialized tools. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, has been a vocal advocate and supporter of the Water Power Technologies Office. 

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