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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) WETO, in collaboration with the interagency Wind Turbine-Radar Interference Mitigation Working Group, released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on challenges and opportunities relating to the co-existence of wind energy and radar. WETO will use RFI responses to inform investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Wind Energy Technology Research & Development program.
Submit responses electronically to WindEnergyRFI@ee.doe.gov no later than 5 p.m. (ET) on January 12, 2024.
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DOE and the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement are working with the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI) to improve the safety of offshore energy operations. Six new projects totaling $2.7 million have been selected for research that will advance technology to improve the overall efficiency, operation, and safety of offshore wind energy.
“OESI’s important investments ensure we’re using the best available research to integrate safety and sustainability throughout the lifecycle of offshore renewable energy projects,” says Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
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DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently investigated advanced manufacturing processes and materials to enable novel wind turbine blade designs that both decrease costs and increase efficiency. Reports published detailed the research on using large-scale three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies to produce wind turbine blade structures, evaluated 3D printing systems and design processes, and examined alternative raw materials needed for structural, cost, and manufacturing time requirements for wind turbine blades.
DOE’s Office of Electricity and EERE are co-funding awards that will improve grid reliability, optimize the electricity infrastructure in existing rights-of-way, and facilitate renewable resource interconnection and market access by improving the reliability and efficiency of power transfer. The selected projects are designed to accelerate the development of grid-enhancing technologies that maximize electricity transmission across existing systems—including those powered by wind—to lower operating costs.
WETO recently announced $1.65 million for a wind R&D incubator program for DOE national laboratories to explore new innovative ideas and research concepts. WETO is funding 18 projects totaling between $75,000 and $150,000 each in topics including data synthesis/artificial intelligence, novel wind energy architectures R&D, and systems integration.
DOE released a strategic plan draft to address interconnection challenges on the transmission grid. The plan aims to implement near- and long-term solutions to interconnect clean energy sources and clear the existing backlog of solar, wind, and battery projects.
DOE also released an RFI to solicit input from interconnection stakeholders on the challenges and solution sets outlined in the plan. Submit responses by 5 p.m. (ET) on Nov. 22, 2023.
WETO is partnering with the National Science Foundation to fund research focused on fundamental fluid dynamics associated with wind energy. Topics of interest include aerodynamics of wind turbine blades and rotors, air/sea interactions and the impact of waves on offshore wind turbines, and technologies that characterize the ocean environment to inform wind energy design and operations. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
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From new technology that minimizes wind turbine interactions with birds and bats, to a money-saving project that better predicts wind forecasts, to some Clean Energy Champions with an abundance of gusto, and plenty more—the Fall 2023 Wind R&D Newsletter summarizes recent wind news sure to blow you away.
Also, get to know our new office director, Eric Lantz! Lantz will be using his extensive knowledge and experience in the field of wind energy modeling and analysis to lead WETO, ensuring the winds are always in our favor.
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Annika Torp, an alum of Johns Hopkins University, co-founded the Hopkins Student Wind Energy Team, which participated in DOE’s Collegiate Wind Competition for the first time during the 2020–2021 school year. Torp and her team faced many challenges that school year, but at the competition’s 2021 final event that spring, they claimed second place.
She now works as a blade aerodynamics engineer for Siemens Gamesa, mentors the current Hopkins Student Wind Energy team, and encourages those who are interested in renewable energy to get involved with multidisciplinary activities like the Collegiate Wind Competition.
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Conference: Dec. 4–5, 2023, Brooklyn, NY
The National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium (NOWRDC) Symposium, which was established with support from DOE, will feature presentations from NOWRDC's offshore wind R&D projects, as well as networking opportunities and keynote talks from industry leaders.
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DOE is soliciting applications for the 2024 Technology Commercialization Fund, which seeks proposals from National Laboratories to advance the commercialization of remote sensing technologies for wind energy.
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NOWRDC announced a program that partners U.S. states (Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey) with InnovateUK to leverage funding and solicit collaborative proposals for challenges regarding the advancement of offshore wind.
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DOE announced up to a $1.3 billion commitment in three transmission lines crossing six states.
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Biden-Harris administration announces up to $3.9 billion to modernize and expand America's power grid.Â
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DOE released topics for Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs over offshore wind environmental monitoring and wind energy storage.
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DOE’s WINDExchange initiative has unveiled a guide providing information on community benefit agreements in the realm of wind energy.
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Halloween may be over, but bats never stop being spooktacular! 🦇 We have some good news for our furry, flying friends: Saildrone completed a first-of-its-kind mission to detect bats at sea using autonomous vehicles.Â
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Social Spotlight
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 EERE on X | Nov. 03, 2023
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The advancement of current technologies will deliver the #CleanEnergy economy. Check out Keystone Tower Systems’ innovative new spiral welding process for manufacturing #WindTurbines, which recently won a @Time Best Inventions of 2023 award:
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