# Blue Ocean Energy Innovation Act of 2024

This bill creates a new federal program to develop energy technologies that work in oceans and other bodies of water. The Department of Energy would fund research into things like wave and tidal power, floating wind turbines, and other ways to generate clean electricity from water-based resources. The program also covers related activities like making ports more environmentally friendly, growing algae for fuel, and developing technologies that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or water.

The bill establishes a "Center of Excellence" that would be located at an existing government research laboratory near the ocean. This center would serve as a hub for studying blue energy technologies and solving the unique challenges that come with building and operating equipment in harsh marine environments—things like dealing with saltwater corrosion, developing better anchoring systems, and figuring out how to connect ocean-based power generation to the electrical grid on land. The bill also emphasizes creating jobs and training workers in this emerging industry, particularly focusing on building a diverse workforce.

The program would coordinate across multiple federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and various transportation and commerce departments to avoid duplication and share knowledge. The bill authorizes funding for this work from 2024 through 2034, though it doesn't specify exact dollar amounts. Importantly, this new funding would be in addition to existing Department of Energy budgets, not replacing them. The government would need to report annually on how much money is being spent on blue energy research across all its programs and identify any funding gaps that need to be filled.

Blue Ocean Energy Innovation Act of 2024

Kilmer, Derek

Blue Ocean Energy Innovation Act of 2024This bill provides for the research and development of blue energy technologies, which are technologies that (1) derive or generate energy from renewable energy resources or capture, remove, and sequester greenhouse gases; and (2) are located in aquatic environments. Specifically, the Department of Energy&nbsp;(DOE) must establish and implement the Integrated Blue Economy and Blue Energy Technologies Program to provide funding for research and development of such technologies for purposes such as<ul><li>increasing blue energy technology generation capacity while reducing the cost to produce such energy;</li><li>improving performance of blue energy technologies;</li><li>capturing, removing, and sequestering greenhouse gases;</li><li>developing new blue energy technology market opportunities;</li><li>promoting job creation in the&nbsp;blue energy technology sectors;</li><li>remediating and improving coastal and aquatic ecosystems; and</li><li>addressing technical and development challenges that are unique to operating in marine and freshwater environments.&nbsp;</li></ul>DOE must establish a Blue Economy Center of Excellence to support the program. The center must be located at an&nbsp;existing&nbsp;DOE National Laboratory&nbsp;that is working to develop blue energy technologies, hosts a blue energy technology research and development program, and has other specified qualifications.In carrying out the bill, DOE must&nbsp;coordinate with (1) other federal agencies that&nbsp;share mission objectives with the program; and (2) state and tribal agencies, institutions of higher education, nonprofit research institutions, and National Laboratories.&nbsp;