 In This Issue
Continue to follow the Wind Energy Technologies Office for the latest news, events, and updates.
News
As we usher in 2021, we’d like to share some of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) key 2020 accomplishments. During the year, we supported innovative technologies, groundbreaking research, and real-world experience for the next-generation wind energy workforce. From grid integration and environmental research to advanced manufacturing materials and software tools, WETO pursued opportunities to enable low-cost wind energy, address market barriers, and manage system integration. Looking forward, WETO will build off these accomplishments and continue to provide global leadership in wind energy science research, development, and validation activities across all U.S. wind sectors—including land-based utility-scale wind, offshore wind, and distributed wind.
Breeze through a year’s worth of progress and see how WETO’s efforts helped elevate U.S. wind energy to new heights.
DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office has published its Multi-Year Program Plan, which outlines the Office’s research priorities and plans through the year 2025. With the objectives of reducing the cost of wind energy, enabling the integration of substantial amounts of wind energy into the evolving national energy system, and creating siting and environmental solutions to reduce environmental impacts, the Plan provides insight into DOE’s wind energy research priorities, and will guide planning and execution of future R&D activities. It is organized in six sections: offshore wind, land-based wind, distributed wind, systems integration, modeling and analysis, and crosscutting initiatives.
On Dec. 22, DOE released the Energy Storage Grand Challenge Roadmap, the Department’s first comprehensive energy storage strategy. Announced in January 2020 by U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, the Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC) seeks to create and sustain American leadership in energy storage. In addition to concerted research efforts, the Roadmap’s approach includes accelerating the transition of technologies from the lab to the marketplace, focusing on ways to competitively manufacture technologies at scale in the United States, and ensuring secure supply chains to enable domestic manufacturing. The Roadmap includes an aggressive but achievable goal: to develop and domestically manufacture energy storage technologies that can meet all U.S. market demands by 2030.
EERE is Hiring!
Are you an engineer or scientist interested in working for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)? EERE is searching for enthusiastic, driven and committed professionals to fill our vacant positions. EERE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office is seeking a biologist with experience in wind energy environmental research. This candidate will aid in strategic planning and management of a complex portfolio of offshore wind and land-based wind environmental research projects. Note: There is a limit to the number of applications that can be received for this vacancy, which means that the announcement may close earlier than anticipated if the applicant limit is met prior to the closing date listed.
DOE also has Direct Hire Authority for General Engineers that allows EERE to more quickly hire qualified applicants in this category than through the traditional government hiring process. WETO is seeking a General Engineer with experience in power electronics/power systems engineering. If you’re interested in this position, please email EEREhiring@ee.doe.gov and include your name, the best way you can be reached, and the position and EERE office that interests you. Then attach your resume. **PLEASE NOTE: Do not include sensitive personal information in your resume. We do NOT want you to include your social security number, photos of you, information about your age or gender, or any government-sensitive information. If EERE is interested after reviewing your resume, the DOE Human Capital office will contact you to request a transcript demonstrating that your educational background meets the basic eligibility requirements of the position in question.
In Case You Missed It
WETO is seeking information from the public on research needs for integration of large-scale offshore wind energy generation into the transmission grid. In addition to input on overall research priorities, topics of interest include technical means to enhance transmission utilization and mitigate congestion; updates to system integration studies and analyses in view of anticipated offshore wind development; and priorities for improvements to data, models, and analytical tools. Responses are due Jan. 24, 2021.
On Dec. 16, DOE announced up to $25 million for the creation of a consortium dedicated to developing control technologies for a modernized electric grid. Grid-forming technologies automatically coordinate inverter-based and other resources to start up and maintain electricity on the grid. DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office and WETO will support the creation of a consortium to advance research and industry-wide collaboration on grid-forming technologies and ensure that they enhance power systems operation. U.S. universities, companies, nonprofits, and state, local, and tribal governments are encouraged to apply. Sign up to learn more about this funding opportunity at an upcoming webinar.
DOE has announced $21 million in funding for three projects supporting offshore wind energy technology demonstration and resource characterization. These projects will support offshore wind development by demonstrating innovative technologies not previously commercially used in the United States for offshore wind, and by improving the ability to forecast energy production. Read the EERE Progress Alert to learn more about the selected projects.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has issued a Special Notice regarding a request for proposals (RFP) under the Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP) for distributed wind.
Focused on small and medium wind turbine technology R&D, the CIP is an annual solicitation that awards cost-shared subcontracts and technical support via a competitive process to:
- Innovate optimized designs for increased energy production and grid support;
- Conduct turbine and component testing to national standards to verify performance and safety; and
- Develop advanced manufacturing processes to reduce hardware costs.
The RFP is planned for release in early 2021, learn more about the CIP and the RFP process.
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