News
DOE Releases Report on Strategies to Expand U.S. Offshore Wind
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has released a report outlining regional and national strategies to accelerate and maximize U.S. offshore wind deployment and operation. The report summarizes the status of offshore wind in the United States, describes challenges to accelerating its deployment, and identifies strategies that would make the United States a global leader in the industry.
National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium Announces Awards, Welcomes New Member
The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (NOWRDC) has awarded a total of more than $3 million to six new projects including three projects that will facilitate U.S. manufacturing, ensure quality component production, and simplify transportation of major wind plant components. Additional projects will support asset monitoring and inspection to reduce operational costs for offshore wind farms. In addition, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities announced that the state has joined New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia as part of NOWRDC. The board will contribute $1 million over four years to support offshore wind research and will coordinate NOWRDC activities with New Jersey’s WIND Institute and its Economic Development Authority.
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Report Details Project to Enable Large Wind Turbine Blades
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has released phase I findings for the WETO-funded Big Adaptive Rotor (BAR) project, which identifies technologies that can enable large (up to 100 m) blades for low-specific-power land-based wind turbines. Such turbines improve power performance in lower wind conditions and deliver power during more hours in the day.
DOE Opens Solicitation to Help Communities Improve Their Energy Systems
DOE’s Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) has announced a competitive solicitation to help island, remote, and islanded communities with in-kind technical assistance on energy analysis, planning and implementation, guidance, and education. Applications are open through April 15.
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Events
Webinar: February 8, 2021
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EDT
This SEER webinar will cover topics related to how birds and bats interact with wind turbines and how that relates to potential collision events and behavioral responses.
Conference: February 28–March 3, 2022, Arlington, VA
Hosted by the Distributed Wind Energy Association, this conference convenes the distributed and community wind industry to showcase this sector of the wind industry, attend educational sessions, and network.
In Case You Missed It
- WETO ended 2021 with a recap of its R&D and other accomplishments and a look ahead at a promising year for wind energy. NREL also celebrated a great year in wind research, and DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recapped a banner year for clean energy.
- WETO released a report assessing the potential for, and technical viability of, airborne wind energy in the United States.
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Additive Manufacturing’s Cool Part Show recently featured Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Parans Paranthaman discussing 3D-printed magnets—including those used for offshore wind direct-drive generators.
- Researchers from Idaho National Laboratory appeared on the Hack the Plant podcast to discuss why wind-specific cybersecurity is important and what the major challenges are.
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NREL researcher Lindy Williams is taking her love for the natural world into the lab, helping to find ways that flora, fauna, and people can thrive in the clean energy economy.
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