ORPC Maine, a subsidiary of Ocean Renewable Power Company, announced it received an additional $200,000 development award from the Maine Technology Institute (MTI)

to continue the commercial development of its technology to generate power from tidal currents and create the environmental and economic

benefits of capturing renewable energy from these indigenous, carbon-free, sustainable energy resources in Maine and elsewhere. This is the second Development Award ORPC Maine has received from MTI.

More than three years in development, ORPC Maine currently is in the testing phase of its $1 million Ocean

Current Generation (OCGen) technology demonstration project at its Cobscook Bay and Western Passage sites near Eastport, Maine. The innovative project involves conducting a series of tests of a prototype turbine-generator unit (TGU). Data from these tests will be used to complete the commercial design of the TGU over the next year.

Joe Migliaccio, manager of MTI Business Innovations Programs, explained that ORPC built on a previous MTI development award to win the new one to help move the project further along the path to commercialization and potential economic benefit for Washington County and beyond.

“Using the prior MTI award, along with additional external match funding, ORPC Maine was able to manufacture a prototype in Maine and produce the data needed to prove out their concept,” Migliaccio said. “This data and their shore-side support collaboration with Eastport were a few elements that enabled ORPC to successfully compete for the additional MTI Development Award investment.”

“Maine has tremendous natural tidal energy resources,” said Chris Sauer, president and CEO of ORPC Maine.

Ocean Renewable Power Co. anticipates securing additional private capital during the summer of 2008, followed by testing the commercial design of the TGU in the spring of 2009.