BY MEGAN DOOLEY

The Edgartown tidal energy project in Muskeget Channel is moving steadily along, project developer Steve Barrett, of Harris Miller Miller and Hanson (HMMH), told selectmen at their meeting Monday.

Grant money from the federal Department of Energy will be used to conduct three environmental studies slated to begin in May. The first will develop a computer model of the tidal action through Muskeget Channel. Meanwhile a field study will measure the impact of tidal engine structures on marine growth in the channel, while another one will determine the project’s impact on marine protected species.

Edgartown was awarded the $600,000 federal grant in September to launch the environmental studies for both wind and tidal energy generation projects. The objective would be to install tidal engines in Muskeget Channel that would generate electricity for the town, but that project would require millions of additional dollars to be put into operation.

Mr. Barrett said that the preliminary environmental studies could be useful in planning similar tidal energy projects in other locations. “The Department of Energy is interested in moving forward projects that have permits just like this project,” said Mr. Barrett. “They’d like to develop environmental data that could be used for permit and license applications...[and for] producing information that’s useful to the marine tidal and wave energy industry as a whole.”

If the project follows the projected timeline, Mr. Barrett said that final reports should be available by June of 2011.