TEAMER Network Director Announces 2025 Open Water Technical Support Recipients
In 2025, the U.S. Testing Expertise and Access to Marine Energy Research (TEAMER) program approved four projects through its Open Water Requests for Technical Support, reflecting a total of over $1.3 million. These Technical Support Recipients (TSRs) received support for Open Water testing within the growing TEAMER Facility Network. Due to the additional rigor and time-sensitivity of Open Water testing, applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with review prioritized outside of TEAMER’s customary Request for Technical Support round structure.
Supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and directed by the Pacific Ocean Energy Trust, TEAMER accelerates the viability of marine energy by providing access to the nation’s best facilities and expertise to solve critical challenges, build knowledge, foster innovation, and drive commercialization.
2025
TEAMER Open Water Technical Support Recipients
Four open water projects were selected to proceed in 2025. Learn more about the applicants, their research, and their facility partners below.
Anchorbot Inc. – Remotely Installed Helical Anchor Moorings for Marine Energy
Facility: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Marine & Coastal Research LaboratoryAnchorbot is collaborating with PNNL for technical evaluation of Anchorbot’s remote anchor installation system. Anchorbot provides tools and services for the installation of helical anchors underwater. Helical anchors exhibit high holding force relative to their weight and create minimal environmental impact when installed. Accordingly, they are the preferred anchor type for many ocean energy projects but installation cost and difficulty has hindered their deployment in ocean energy to date. Anchorbot technology reduces cost and logistical complexity of helical anchor installation. In this project, Anchorbot and PNNL will work to validate the methods of installation and strength verification for remotely installed helical anchors.
California Polytechnic State University – Cal Poly Pier Wave Energy Resource Assessment
Facility: National Laboratory of the Rockies (formerly NREL)Cal Poly Pier and NLR are teaming up to deploy a Datawell Waverider buoy off the coast of Cal Poly Pier to better understand the wave resource and site characteristics. The buoy will collect significant wave height, peak period, peak direction, and temperature metrics over the course of a year to provide valuable information to Cal Poly Pier and future users of the site. Data will be live on the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) website throughout the buoy’s deployment, and an annual summary of wave conditions will be assembled at the end of the project.
At-Sea Development – Eastern Long Island Sound Site Analysis and Resource Characterization for 100MW Tidal Power Project
Facility: Integral ConsultingAt-Sea Development has obtained a FERC permit at a location in Eastern Long Island Sound and is interested in exploring the feasibility of up to 100MW utility scale tidal energy development at this site. Prior to tidal energy development, a bathymetric survey and tidal resource characterization of the site is required to inform specific installation locations. TEAMER assistance is requested to faciliate a bathymetric survey to inform instrument deployment locations, a three-month long deployment of two Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) to assess the tidal energy resource, and a passive acoustic monitoring device to provide an initial characterization of the soundscape, including marine mammal presence. The tidal current measurements will provide ground truth data for a separate modeling study.
Chugachmiut – Chugachmiut Wave Energy Planning Project
Facility: University of Alaska FairbanksChugachmiut is exploring marine energy options and transmission upgrades to increase the reliability of power supply in a remote region of the southern Kenai Peninsula. We are requesting assistance from UAF to provide a detailed wave resource assessment to quantify the amount and timing of wave energy to determine the feasibility of deploying point actuator wave energy conversion technology in future. This marine energy development could potentially be a source of renewable electricity generation for Port Graham and Nanwalek, two small, remote Alaska Native villages that often experience inadequate power and frequent outages. Developing this resource would increase community resilience and self-determination for these villages and potentially the greater area of the Kenai Peninsula.
