On October 28, 2010, Pacific Gas & Electric ("PG&E") announced that it was suspending development of its Humboldt WaveConnect Pilot Project (FERC Docket No. P-12779) off of the Northern California coast.  The company stated that "several major challenges made the project unviable at its current location and configuation."  However, "PG&E remains committed to [wave energy] technology." 

In fact

The U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") continued its support of marine and hydrokinetic ("MHK") technology development on Tuesday, announcing that Florida Atlantic University has been designated as the nation’s third national center for ocean energy research and development.  The Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center ("SNMREC") joins centers in the Northwest, at the University of Washington

To follow up on my colleague Janet Jacobs’ blog on this exciting topic, here’s some more detailed information about the MOU, especially as it relates to marine and hydrokinetic ("MHK") technologies:

 

The United States Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (“EERE”) and the United States Department of the Interior’s

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind and Hydropower Technologies program recently unveiled a new database containing information on the test capabilities and services of a variety of U.S. hydrodynamic test facilities.

The first-of-its-kind database encompasses 81 commercial, academic, and government facilities and offshore berths in 18 states, and will directly facilitate the testing of

The Department of Energy’s Draft Report to Congress on the Environmental Effects of Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Projects is now available for public comment. The report, prepared pursuant to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (“EISA”), describes (1) the potential environmental impacts of marine and hydrokinetic energy technologies; (2) options to mitigate and prevent