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WINDExchange Newsletter
Issue #228 | Feb. 20, 2024
The WINDExchange Newsletter is a quarterly publication highlighting recent wind energy news, events, publications, and other wind-related activities from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its national laboratories. If you have questions, please contact WIND.Exchange@nrel.gov.
In This Issue
Wind Energy Workforce Development
Wind Energy and the Environment
Events
Wind Energy Workforce Development
National Offshore Wind Workforce Network Expands to Include Land-Based Wind Energy
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working to expand the National Offshore Wind Workforce Network into the Wind Energy Workforce Network Initiative. This expansion will incorporate land-based wind energy workforce development into the network, develop regional workforce networks, and provide technical assistance to accelerate progress for regional workforce development projects. The Wind Energy Workforce Network Initiative will provide a forum for stakeholders across wind energy technologies and regions to collaborate, learn from each other, prioritize challenges and opportunities, and develop targeted solutions. If you are interested in wind energy workforce development and would like to join the network, please reach out to Chloe.Constant@nrel.gov.
DOE has selected 12 teams to advance to the third and final phase of the 2024 Collegiate Wind Competition. This annual event readies college students for wind energy careers by providing real-world experience in technology, project development, and outreach. The finalist teams, selected from 32 preliminary teams, will present their work at the American Clean Power Association's CLEANPOWER Conference and Exhibition this spring.
KidWind, an organization dedicated to helping educators and students explore renewable energy, invites students in grades K–8 nationwide to showcase their creativity in the National Wind Energy Art Contest. Participants have the chance to win $200 and exhibit their artwork alongside the World KidWind Challenge at the American Clean Power Association's CLEANPOWER Conference and Exhibition this spring. The first 20 entrants will receive coloring books and KidWind mini wind turbine kits. The submission deadline is March 22, 2024.
Wind Energy and the Environment
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Twenty Teams Win First Phase of Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize
DOE recently announced the 20 winners of the first phase of the Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize. These winning teams received $75,000 each for their innovative ideas and will advance to the second phase of the prize. The $5.1 million competition, part of DOE's American-Made Challenges program, aims to boost the development of a sustainable and cost-effective U.S. recycling industry for wind turbine materials. Focusing on the 10%–15% of currently unrecyclable turbine materials (such as carbon fiber, fiberglass, and rare earth elements), the initiative seeks to establish robust domestic recycling solutions, reducing the environmental impact and enhancing the resilience of the wind energy sector.
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Visit WINDExchange for more wind energy news.
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Events
Webinar: Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET
Join WINDExchange and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for a webinar introducing Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs). As voluntary mechanisms that project developers may use to ensure wind and other renewable energy projects deliver benefits to the communities that host them, CBAs are a focal point of discussion in the renewable energy field, especially concerning offshore wind development and equity. The webinar will explore the nuances of CBAs and provide insights relevant to land-based wind energy, offshore wind energy, and other renewable energy technologies. The webinar will include presentations from stakeholders working on community benefits approaches, as well as a question-and-answer session.
Distributed Wind 2024 Business Conference and Lobby Day
Conference: Feb. 26–28, 2024, Arlington, Virginia
Hear from industry experts and federal leaders about new technology, services, and business opportunities at the Distributed Wind 2024 Business Conference and Lobby Day. The Business Conference will feature exciting new topics, speakers, and networking opportunities that will help attendees understand the full potential of on-site power in America’s clean energy future. On Lobby Day, industry leaders will join forces with diverse members of the on-site power industry to lobby Congress more effectively on issues directly related to the future of this industry.
Webinar: Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET
Are you considering wind energy to meet your business, farm, home, or community’s energy needs? Join the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for a webinar about DOE's new National Distributed Wind Network. A trusted source for information, the Network will offer support and inspiration for distributed wind energy installation efforts nationwide through in-person and virtual events and best-in-class resources published on the newly established Distributed Wind Resource Hub.
Conference: April 22–25, 2024, New Orleans, Louisiana
Hosted by Oceantic Network, formerly the Business Network for Offshore Wind, this offshore wind energy conference will consist of panels and presentations from the Wind Energy Technologies Office, Grid Deployment Office, Loan Programs Office, and our national laboratories. In addition, stop by DOE's booth #2001 to meet the team and learn more about DOE's latest offshore wind initiatives.
Competition: May 6–9, 2024, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Join WETO at the DOE Collegiate Wind Competition 2024 final event, which will be held in conjunction with the American Clean Power Association’s (ACP) CLEANPOWER Conference and Exhibition. Teams of college students will test their wind turbine prototypes, present their wind turbine designs, wind energy project development plans, and outreach efforts to panels of experts.
Conference: May 6–9, 2024, Minneapolis, Minnesota
ACP's annual conference will feature panels, presentations, workshops, and poster sessions on the renewable energy industry, including land-based wind energy, offshore wind energy, distributed wind energy, solar power, energy storage, and transmission. Be sure to stop by DOE's booth, #627, to discuss all the latest wind energy research and development with our team!
Conference: Oct. 28–30, 2024, Atlantic City, New Jersey
ACP's 2024 Offshore WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition will convene top developers, government officials, and key stakeholders across the industry who are working to achieve the full promise of U.S. offshore wind energy.
Please visit the WINDExchange calendar to learn more about upcoming events.
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