The Tidal Energy Device Evaluation Center (TEDEC) is a collaborative effort between Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) and three industry partners. Together they are developing a tidal energy project in Castine harbor and the Bagaduce River. This area has a great potential as a renewable energy source due to the high tidal range, strong currents, and narrow cross-section.

Plans are under way to conduct an in-depth environmental study of the river and to engage the community in the planning process. Pending the results of the exploratory phase of the permitting process, the group intends the center to test a variety of tidal energy devices currently under development around the world. Center programs would focus on environmental and biological factors, design efficiencies, maintainability and reliability of tidal energy turbines.

The proposed Center, the second of only two in the world and the first in the United States, would also provide educational and research opportunities for MMA students and faculty. If the project stays on schedule, the Center would also generate electricity in 2010. The proposed facility would put the school at the forefront of tidal energy research.

In 2008, Mananook Associates filed an application, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act, proposing to study the feasibility of the Grand Manan Channel Project, located in the Grand Manan Channel in Washington County, Lubec, Maine. The project uses no dam or impoundment.

The proposed project would consist of: (1) 1,377 proposed tidal current generating units, with a total installed capacity of 72 megawatts, (2) a proposed transmission line, and (3) appurtenant facilities. The project is estimated to have an annual generation of 158gigawatthours, which would be sold to a local utility.

Tidewater Associates, a Trenton, Maine, engineering company has filed applications for a tidal power projects at Half Moon Cove involving a dam. The Half-Moon Cove Tidal Power Project, to be located off Quoddy Village, involves construction of a dam that would extend 1,210 feet across the inlet, with a maximum height of 67 feet. A powerhouse with three turbines, a transmission line and "appurtenant facilities" is planned. Capacity is estimated at 13.5 megawatts. Tidewater is also exploring the possibility of adding hydrokinetic component to the project. Once the feasibility has been determined the licensing process will be undertaken. The preliminary permit is for three years and it is now projected that by 2010 work on the construction of a Tidal power facility can begin.

Hydro Green Energy, LLC is a Texas-based renewable energy systems developer and integrator operating in the waterpower industry. Hydro Green Energy’s hydrokinetic power systems generate electricity exclusively from moving water (river currents, tidal currents and ocean currents) without having to first construct dams, impoundments or conduits.

The company has been issued a preliminary permit to explore the feasibility of locating one of its horizontal-axis hydrokinetic generation plants on Lubec Narrows in the Passamaquoddy Bay. This project would use no dam or impoundment.

ORPC plans to build, own and operate a major OCGen™ tidal energy project at the Western Passage and Cobscook Bay sites. The ultimate tidal energy project will be developed and implemented in phases, starting with the currently operational turbine-generator unit (TGU) demonstration project. Following the TGU demonstration project, ORPC plans to engineer, build, install and monitor (for a minimum period of 1 year) a commercial scale prototype tidal OCGen™ module at one of the sites. ORPC hopes to install the prototype OCGen™ module in mid-2009 and operate it until at least mid-2010. ORPC then plans to begin installation of the 1st phase of the ultimate tidal energy project in mid-2011. The power generated will be interconnected to the New England electricity grid through the substation in Eastport.

Maine Tidal Energy received a preliminary permit in May 2007 for the Penobscot Tidal Energy Hydroelectric Project. The project would consist of 100 tidal in-stream energy conversion devices (TISEC) consisting of rotating propeller blades and integrated generators with a capacity of 0.5 to 2.0 MW, anchoring systems, mooring lines and interconnection transmission lines. The project is estimated to have an annual generation of 8.76 gigawatt hours per unit per year which would be sold to a local utility.

The Passamaquoddy Tribe is currently involved in assessing the possibilities for energy production through wind power and tidal power. The Tribe is assessing the viability of generating commercial electricity through wind power on their lands in Township19. While the site has a 130-megawatt capacity, development will be limited to 25 turbines, and when in operation, would provide power to run the Tribe’s sewage treatment plant and generate excess electricity to be recycled.

The Tribe has submitted an application to FERC to locate tidal power structures at two sites in the region. One is located just off the reservation, near First Island, and the second site is just north of Kendall Head in Western Passage. The Tribe is working with UEK Corporation to develop their tidal power project. The technology that the Tribe is considering using only weighs 30 pounds under water.

The Town of Wiscasset, Maine, has been given preliminary approval to proceed with studies of the feasibility of the Tidal Resources Project to be located on the Sheepscot River in Lincoln County, Maine. This project arises out of a partnership between the town and a local conservation group, the Chewonki Foundation. The project would harness the rise and fall of tidal waters through turbines in the Sheepscot River for distribution to the local power grid. The project uses no dam or impoundment.

The proposed project would consist of: 4 to 40 OCGen(TM) hydrokinetic turbine generating units, with a total installed capacity of 1 to 10 megawatts; a proposed underwater transmission cable approximately 6 miles in length; a proposed 1,000-foot-long, 480-volt transmission line; and appurtenant facilities. The project is estimated to have an annual generation of 43.8 gigawatt-hours, which would be sold to a local utility.