MMA to Host Tidal Energy Forum

The Tidal Energy Demonstration and Evaluation Center (TEDEC) based at Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) will sponsor a conference on tidal hydropower on Saturday, November 13, 2010, on the college campus in Castine. The event, entitled Progress and Challenges of Small-Scale Tidal Power, will take the form of a day-long academic forum for the exchange of information about ideas, developments, and initiatives surrounding alternative energy and tidal power. According to organizers, participants will have the opportunity to network with regulators, scientists, and exploratory permit holders. Members of the public who are interested in discussions surrounding tidal power are encouraged to attend this upcoming forum.

Ann Miles, director of the division of hydropower licensing, Office of Energy Projects, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), will provide the keynote address at the event luncheon. Panelists and presenters scheduled to participate in the event include representatives from Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC), Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Army Corps of Engineers, and Maine Technology Institute. Academic presentations on technology considerations for tidal devices will be made by Dr Richard Kimball, associate professor of engineering at Maine Maritime Academy, and Dr. Michael "Mick" Peterson, Jr., professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Maine.

The Tidal Energy Demonstration and Evaluation Center based at MMA is the only in-stream tidal energy device testing facility in the United States. Earlier this year, the Center received a special order of clarification from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), enabling it to further the research and testing of field-scale models of tidal energy devices at two sites located near the Castine college.

The declaration was granted on the basis that TEDEC is hosted by Maine Maritime Academy, a public, non-profit educational institution with the intent of providing applied educational opportunities for its students while serving the furtherance of alternative energy development. According to Rick Armstrong, executive director of TEDEC, the declaration cleared the path for the initiation of immediate testing activity which has been significantly delayed by a permitting process that was originally developed for application to hydropotential energy sources, rather than those of hydrokinetic energy. The FERC regulatory process primarily focuses on managing the environmental implications of necessary infrastructure and processes related to the generation of hydroelectricity, through the use of dams and other gravitational flowing water systems.

"This forum will be our first opportunity to reach out to the interested public following the designation of TEDEC as the only in-stream tidal energy device testing site in the country, " said Armstrong. "It is our hope that TEDEC will be able to engage, inspire, and assist those who are passionate about the development of tidal energy devices."

The Progress and Challenges of Small-Scale Tidal Power Forum will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 13, and will include a morning coffee hour, a luncheon with keynote speaker, and a post-event networking reception. The Forum is open to the public and seating is limited. Participation is by pre-registration only and will cost $25 per person. Students are invited to participate for free with pre-registration.

To learn more or to register, contact Rick Armstrong, executive director of TEDEC, at [email protected] or 207-326-2186.