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The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Lockheed Martin with 2 grants totaling $2 Million dollars to develop renewable energy with the technology of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion. Under the first grant, Lockheed Martin will develop a tool to estimate the amount of energy that can be extracted from the ocean's thermal layers. The geographic information system-based dataset and software tool will be used to identify regions of the world viable for OTEC and seawater-based air conditioning (SWAC). The resulting resource mapping will provide critical information to policy makers, the energy industry and the public about regional OTEC and SWAC feasibility. The SWAC technology is current being used in Hawaii, Bora Bora, Stockholm and Ottawa.
The second grant will require Lockheed Martin to estimate the performance and life cycle costs while determining the potential reduction in electric utility loads during the summer peaks demand periods.
Lockheed Martin's experience with Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion dates by to the 1970's, when they built a "Mini-OTEC", which remains the only floating system in the world.
The Department of Energy was granted approval which will cost of $1.45 Billion dollars to proceed with offering a conditional commitment to Abenoga Solar, Inc. to build the Solana, Arizona Solar Power plant. The plant will generate renewable energy at a rate of 250 megawatts and will feature the first molten salt thermal energy storage system in the USA. The Solana Plant will supply clean renewable energy to 70,000 homes, employ approximately 1600 during construction and 80 skilled permanent jobs during construction.
The plant will use mirrors to direct sunlight to the receiver tubes that will heat the molten to 700 degrees. The systems heat will turn steam turbines and has the capability of storing 6 hours of thermal energy, and will be 
dispatched during the peek hours in the morning and evening.
The thermal storage will also enable the plant to continue operation during intermittent cloudy weather.
