Research & Development Feature
Recent research indicates concrete has the potential to replace steel as a material for offshore wind turbine support structures. By collecting data focused on the fatigue—or weakening—of various materials, researchers at Tufts University and the University of Illinois are investigating the advantages that concrete could provide to the offshore wind energy industry. Among their early findings, the team found that combining steel bars with concrete can greatly decrease overall levels of material fatigue. After compiling previously conducted studies from over 2,500 concrete-fatigue studies from dozens of research programs, the researchers concluded that replications of past studies and improvements to current concrete-fatigue models are needed to pinpoint more accurate results.
Learn more about the future uses and potential challenges of concrete as a support material for offshore wind turbines.
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Clean Energy Champions
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) celebrated this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month by featuring team members from the Hispanic and Latinx Community. WETO was honored to be represented by Ivette Gonzalez, who serves as our Energy Equity & Environmental Justice Coordinator. Gonzalez mused on how integral her Columbian heritage is to her identity: “It reflects in our art, traditions, cuisine, and music, including cumbia, salsa, joropo, and vallenato.”
Regarding how diversity and equity affect DOE’s efforts to increase energy resilience, Gonzalez shared some wise words that inspire as much as they enlighten: “Diversity and equity have different meanings, but when joined together, they create better opportunities to generate and produce a clean energy future.”
We certainly benefit from having Gonzalez on our whirlwind of a team! Learn more from her and other diverse EERE team perspectives to discover how inclusion drives innovation and is essential in confronting today’s climate crisis.
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News
Lowering costs and addressing barriers to the deployment of wind energy—including offshore, land-based, and distributed—is imperative to achieve the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035. Supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, an upcoming $28 million funding opportunity will:
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Advance high-voltage direct current technologies needed for offshore wind energy transmission—$9.7 million
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Advance understanding of offshore wind community impacts and help affected communities more effectively participate in and capture benefits from offshore wind energy development—$6.9 million
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Improve technologies designed to deter bats from interacting with wind turbines—$8 million
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Develop innovative zoning and permitting processes to make distributed wind energy more accessible to community members in localities where distributed wind energy can be cost-effectively and equitably deployed—$3.3 million.
For more information on the Notice of Intent, head over to our website.
Until now, there has been no national-level assessment of what specific roles, skills, and trainings the industry and a potential future domestic workforce might need to successfully achieve the Biden-Harris administration’s goal to install 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. DOE just released a report documenting the first nationwide study to examine the opportunity to grow a sizable domestic workforce as the U.S. offshore wind energy industry grows. The new report, titled U.S. Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment, defines near-term and long-term future workforce needs, identifies the roles and skills required for these jobs, and pinpoints educational institutions, training programs, and other skill-building initiatives that could help prepare workers to fill upcoming gaps.
 Some of the actions needed to meet the growing demand for offshore wind energy jobs include training skilled tradespeople, standardizing clear pathways for workers to obtain required safety training, and prioritizing diversity and inclusion initiatives to attract underrepresented populations. Graphic by Al Hicks, NREL
DOE issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on research needs related to floating offshore wind energy mooring and anchoring systems. In addition to input on research priorities, mooring and anchoring topics of interest include technologies, methods, performance and cost targets, supply chain, U.S. manufacturing, workforce, and stakeholder impacts.
The RFI will help inform future DOE strategic planning, including future research funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Responses are due by Dec. 19, 2022, and should be submitted to WindEnergyRFI@ee.doe.gov. Get more information by reading the full RFI.
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 DOE announced 19 institutions that will host fellows as part of the new Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship program, a program sponsored by WETO and others. The program matches recent graduates and energy professionals with public utility commissions, municipal and rural cooperative utilities, and grid operators where they will spend one to two years advancing innovative clean energy solutions. The $6 million program seeks to increase access to clean energy career opportunities and accelerate the national transition to a resilient and affordable clean energy economy.
DOE's Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) is seeking public input via a Request for Information on a new $1 billion program to improve energy generation in rural or remote communities across the country. Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) program reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to ensuring no communities are left behind in the historic transition to a clean energy future.
Feedback to this RFI can be submitted to ERA@hq.doe.gov until Nov 28, 2022, at noon, EST. Learn more on OCED Exchange.
How can we recycle fiberglass from wind turbine blades? Will the costs of wind and solar energy continue to drop in the coming years—and how much? How can we minimize the interactions between golden eagles and wind turbines using a new flight-path simulation tool?
Discover the answers to these questions and many more in DOE’s Fall 2022 Wind R&D Newsletter.
Events
Webinar: Oct. 27, 2022, 1–2 p.m. ET
In this webinar, hosted by the WINDExchange initiative through WETO, wind energy experts will present a high-level summary of decision-making processes for offshore wind energy siting and permitting. As part of WINDExchange’s Offshore Wind Energy Basics webinar series, this webinar will focus on the points at which community leaders, property owners, coastal residents, and other local stakeholders can meaningfully engage with these processes.
See what you’ll learn and how to attend the webinar on the WINDExchange website.
Webinar: Oct. 27, 2022, 1 p.m. ET
Join DOE and the Business Network for Offshore Wind, partners of the FLoating Offshore Wind ReadINess (FLOWIN) Prize, for a webinar on the Floating Offshore Wind Supply Chain and the FLOWIN Prize. Get the opportunity to learn about the offshore wind energy market, learn more about the FLOWIN Prize—which happens to be WETO’s first-ever prize—and meet potential partners!
Register now for the Business Network for Offshore Wind webinar and networking event on Oct. 27, 2022, at 1 p.m. ET.
Also, experts at the Business Network are available for one-on-one office hour sessions every Wednesday starting Nov. 2, 2022, through Jan. 4, 2023, at 1–3 p.m. ET. Take advantage of this opportunity to bolster your team, find the resources you need, and receive support on your Phase 1 submission.
Conference: Nov. 8–9, 2022, San Francisco, CA
Join senior executives from developers, government, ports, operators, and their respective supply chains to explore the future of floating offshore wind in the United States. Hear from the Department of Energy's Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, who will provide opening remarks on DOE’s floating offshore wind research and development activities, including our new Floating Offshore Wind Shot, and Federal efforts supporting the advancement of the future potential of floating offshore wind in the United States, and Nathan McKenzie, who will speak on the “Finance & Technology Panel: Exploring opportunities for U.S. floating offshore wind.” Get more information on the Reuters Events website.
Workshop: Dec. 5–6, 2022, Boston, MA
This 2-day conference will showcase the National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium’s impressive project portfolio, featuring keynote talks and project presentation panels organized around technical challenge areas. If you can’t make it to Boston’s Northeastern University for the event, tune in virtually!
In Case You Missed It
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