WINDExchange Newsletter Issue #220

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WINDExchange Newsletter

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January 19, 2022

WINDExchange Newsletter Issue #220

Issued periodically by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), the WINDExchange Newsletter informs partners and interested individuals of wind energy events, webinars, funding opportunities, new publications, success stories, and other wind-related activities. If you have questions, please submit them to Tara McMurtry.


In This Issue

Featured

Wind Energy News

Events


Featured

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.

WINDExchange Webinar Highlights Offshore Wind Technology Above the Water

Offshore wind energy holds great potential to deliver clean, reliable, domestic power to our nation’s coastal communities. Increased industry interest and the Biden administration’s goal to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power by 2030 can help grow the offshore wind industry in the coming years. WINDExchange is hosting a series of webinars to help stakeholders better understand this emerging U.S. power source. The most recent webinar featured National Renewable Energy Laboratory offshore wind expert Walt Musial discussing offshore wind technology above the surface of the water, including wind turbine technology and wind resource assessments and modeling. The previous webinar, held in June, covered fixed-bottom offshore wind technology. Learn more about offshore wind energy by checking out the webinar recordings and signing up for news on future webinars.

WINDExchange Publishes New 100-Meter Wind Resource Maps

The ability to assess and characterize available wind resources is critical to the development, siting, and operation of a wind power plant. WETO, which supports efforts to accurately define, measure, and forecast the nation’s land-based and offshore wind resources, recently released new wind resource maps. New land-based maps are available for Missouri and Tennessee, and new offshore maps are available for Texas-Louisiana-Mississippi, North Carolina-South Carolina, and Alabama-Florida-Georgia.


Wind Energy News

Remote, Island, and Islanded Communities: Apply Today for ETIPP!

Remote, island, and islanded communities that experience challenges related to frequent energy disruptions and threats to energy infrastructure can now apply to the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP)!  Through ETIPP, communities take the first step in transforming their energy systems and increasing energy resilience using strategic energy planning and analysis to investigate solutions that address their specific challenges. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the application guidelines and eligibility criteria on the ETIPP application webpage, register for the ETIPP Webinar (Feb. 16, 12 p.m. MST), and contact an ETIPP regional partner with questions. You’ll receive direct technical assistance from ETIPP experts in the form of strategic energy analysis and planning. Please be aware that ETIPP is not a grant program and does not provide direct funding or technology deployment to selected communities. Applications are due by April 15, 2022.

NREL to Invite U.S. Manufacturers to Partner on Distributed Wind Technology Innovation

The distributed wind industry requires rapid innovation to reduce costs and increase customer confidence, but many companies that build small and mid-sized wind turbines do not have the resources to develop and certify next-generation technology. The Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP), managed by NREL on behalf of DOE, provides financial and technical support to manufacturers of small wind turbines. NREL intends to release a call for proposals for the 2022 CIP in the first quarter of 2022. Projects selected for the CIP can help reduce the levelized cost of energy and accelerate deployment in the United States.

Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study Will Inform Options to Support National Goals

WETO has announced the launch of a comprehensive study of transmission options to support offshore wind development on the U.S. East Coast through 2050. The study will evaluate multiple pathways to offshore wind goals through coordinated transmission solutions under various combinations of electricity supply and demand while supporting grid reliability and resilience.

National Lab Researchers Examine Ways to Transport Longer Wind Turbine Blades

Under the WETO-funded Big Adaptive Rotor Project, DOE national laboratory researchers have determined a way to transport massive wind turbine blades to parts of the country at a lower cost. By analyzing five designs, researchers determined that 100-meter blades can be transported as a single-piece by rail if they are designed to be able to bend, or deflect, by 20%.

DOE Partners on Sea Grant Liaison to Connect Communities with Offshore Wind Info

WETO and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Rhode Island Sea Grant program have partnered to establish and fill a new Offshore Wind liaison position. The liaison will connect community stakeholders to information resources and research about offshore wind energy development. By providing information, supporting technical assistance, and sharing resources, the liaison will help empower communities to engage in offshore wind energy development decisions. The position is part of NOAA’s collaboration with other federal agencies on six new liaison positions intended to connect communities with federally-funded research and information.

DOE Announces $13.5 Million for Sustainable Development of Offshore Wind

DOE announced $13.5 million in funding to provide critical environmental and wildlife data to support offshore wind development. In support of a joint interagency goal to develop 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, DOE is funding four projects that will inform offshore wind siting, permitting and help protect wildlife and fisheries as offshore wind deployment increases. This latest funding announcement aligns with President Biden’s agenda to catalyze offshore wind energy, strengthen the domestic supply chain, and create good-paying, union jobs.

Collegiate Wind Competition Aims to Broaden Participation with New Application Process

DOE’s Collegiate Wind Competition is launching a new application process for the 2022–2023 academic year competition. The change will make the competition more accessible to schools that have not participated in the past, in turn broadening the reach and impact of the competition. The new process will start in March 2022.


Events

U.S. Offshore Wind Synthesis of Environmental Effects Research (SEER) Webinar: Bat and Bird Interactions with Offshore Wind Energy

Webinar: February 8, 2022 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.

Distributed Wind 2021 Business Conference

In Person: Feb. 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, present educational sessions, and offer networking opportunities.

Please visit the WINDExchange calendar to learn more about upcoming events.