Chu and Wellinghoff: Two Who Will Help Determine the Future of Marine Renewables

With the marine renewables industry on the cusp of commercialization in the United States, meet two of the individuals who will play an instrumental role in shaping the industry’s future.  Over at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, profiled in the Christian Science Monitor took the helm in April and has plans to ensure that renewables such as wind, solar and ocean power get equal access to the grid. In addition, Chairman Wellinghoff has also explored ways to innovate the regulatory process to stimulate development of hydro-kinetics, a topic discussed in this Energy Bar Journal article which he co-authored.

However, when it comes to energy policy, FERC and Chairman Wellinghoff aren’t the only players. Steven Chu, Secretary of the Department of Energy holds the power to determine which renewable technologies will receive an injection of stimulus funding. Chu is profiled in the June 25, 2009 issue of the Rolling Stone and also at the Salon Blog. The Salon piece argues that Chu is a techno-geek, awed by the power and possibility of new technology – and for that reason, one might expect him to embrace marine renewables. At the same time, however, Chu and Department of Energy seem rather lukewarm towards marine renewables, as evidence by the Administration’s recent decision to cut funding for marine renewables. Still, if the Rolling Stone article is accurate, and Chu is a scientist through and through, I’m convinced that he’ll at least be willing to give marine renewables a chance once he becomes more familiar with their potential and the current state of the technology.

Tagged as: Chu, Department of Energy, FERC, Wellinghoff