Abstract
The new blue economy will require new ways of producing, storing, and using energy as technologies and industries move further from shore-based power grids to collect new data sets and use the ocean in new ways. And coastal communities are seeking to integrate renewables to improve energy resilience, reduce carbon emissions, and power clean ports and industries. At the same time, the energy sector is undergoing a revolution toward renewable, distributed technologies that rely on energy storage and smart grid technology. Blue economy and energy technology trends are intersecting creating new challenges and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration. Marine energy (power from waves, tidal currents, ocean currents, and ocean thermal gradients) holds promise as a source of power for the new blue economy. The successful development of marine energy faces many technical, social, and market challenges—as well as access to data and information emerging from the new blue economy. Meeting the full potential of marine energy will require innovation and codevelopment across energy and ocean technology sectors; an improved understanding of ocean physical, biological, and social systems; and new public sector partnerships to coordinate and leverage research and development investments.