Cotter Appointed Associate Director of Pacific Marine Energy Center

Emma Cotter, an environmental engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and joint appointee at the University of Washington, was appointed an associate director of the Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC). 

PMEC is a consortium of universities focused on the responsible advancement of marine energy through research, outreach, and education. The consortium brings together researchers from the University of Washington, Oregon State University, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks and works closely with marine energy technology developers, academic and national laboratory researchers, and regulatory officials. 

In her role as associate director, Cotter will work with the PMEC leadership team at the University of Washington to develop high-level strategy for the organization and support programming, including educational programs and alumni engagement. 

“I was involved with PMEC as a graduate student at the University of Washington, and I’m excited to formally be a part of the community again,” says Cotter. “I’m especially excited to help strengthen the existing relationship between PMEC and the national laboratories.”

The PMEC role will enable Cotter to continue advancing marine energy research and development and support education and training of students working in marine energy. During her time at PNNL, Cotter has been integral to a variety of projects—including work with the Triton Initiative to develop innovative approaches for environmental monitoring of marine energy devices. 

She was also a collaborator in a joint project between PNNL and the University of Washington to install the first tidal turbine in the Pacific Northwest at PNNL-Sequim. As part of that project, through her joint appointment at the University of Washington, she led the analysis of optical camera imagery that captured animal interactions with the turbine. She also collaborated with the University of Washington and Integral Consulting to perform passive acoustic monitoring of the turbine under a separate project funded by the Testing Expertise and Access for Marine Energy Research program. 

Cotter also led work to develop an integrated microgrid testbed system at PNNL-Sequim, funded by the Washington State Department of Commerce, to accelerate testing of new energy technologies, including marine energy devices. The new testbed infrastructure could save developers months of time and thousands of dollars per project while supporting research into the use of microgrids to support maritime businesses and energy reliability along the nation’s coasts. 

“I enjoy working on interdisciplinary teams with people working on all aspects of marine energy, from designing and testing marine energy converters to environmental monitoring, and this leadership position at PMEC allows me to do just that,” says Cotter.