Water Power Technologies Office

The U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) is advancing cutting-edge technology to modernize the U.S. hydropower fleet and drive U.S. leadership in new ocean and river energy, with the goal of delivering low-cost power and resiliency to the nation’s power grids. Subscribe to WPTO’s Breaking News email for important updates. WHAT WE DO Leading the world in clean energy is critical to strengthening the American economy, and WPTO is at the forefront of the nation's clean energy frontier. WPTO works with national laboratories, industry, universities, and other federal agencies to conduct research and development activities through competitively selected, directly funded, and cost-shared projects.We are pioneering research and development efforts in both marine and hydrokinetic and hydropower technologies to improve performance, lower cost and ultimately support the United States' ability to sustainably meet its growing energy demand. Marine and hydrokinetic technologies capture energy from waves, ocean thermal gradients, and tidal, ocean and river currents.