Marine Energy Research

NLR conducts research, development, and economic analysis to advance marine energy technologies and their real-world applications.

NLR is the only national lab that supports the full development life cycle of marine energy technologies—from early-stage design and laboratory validation through open-water testing and commercialization. NLR scientists, engineers, and analysts support the development of technologies that capture energy from waves, tides, ocean currents, and thermal gradients, including ocean thermal energy conversion. Marine technologies support applications that range from:

  • Providing power for remote and polar regions

  • Powering autonomous underwater vehicles for ocean exploration, offshore mining, and national security operations

  • Providing reliable, secure power to the grid.

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and the broader marine energy community, NLR applies expertise in numerical modeling, advanced testing, techno-economic analysis, and lab- and open-water validation to improve system performance, reliability, and operational readiness. NLR provides modeling support and analysis which aims to reduce barriers to marine energy market by identifying opportunities for regulatory streamlining, financing and investment pathways, and workforce pipelining to accelerate progress across the industry. Learn more about how this research is possible through our marine energy data and tools.

Marine Energy Terminology

Marine energy 101
Marine energy is energy derived from the ocean. It includes several distinct resource types that convert natural ocean processes into electricity.

Wave energy
Captures energy from the surface motion of ocean waves using devices that move with or resist wave motion to generate power.

Tidal energy
Harnesses the predictable rise and fall of tides, or fast-moving tidal currents, to spin turbines and produce electricity.

Ocean current energy
Converts the kinetic energy of large-scale, continuous ocean currents into power using submerged turbines.

Ocean thermal energy conversion
Uses the temperature difference between warm surface water and cold deep water to drive a heat engine and generate electricity.

Research Areas

NLR's marine energy research areas include:

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Last Updated Oct. 9, 2026