The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $72 million for three sets of projects that will innovate manufacturing processes for wind and water technologies and accelerate the equitable and sustainable deployment of offshore and land-based wind energy. This funding encompasses 29 projects from 16 States and Washington, D.C.
The breakdown includes $27 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for 15 projects to support research, development and community engagement to accelerate the equitable and sustainable deployment of offshore and land-based wind energy. In addition, $45 million will go to 14 projects that will make domestic manufacturing for these technologies quicker and less expensive.
Together, these investments will streamline the processes to create the tools that will produce wind and hydropower, reduce barriers for communities deploying offshore and distributed wind energy technologies and reduce impacts to wildlife.
Categories and Topics for Funding:
Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Opportunity to Address Key Deployment Challenges for Offshore, Land-Based, and Distributed Wind – Click here for details about each winner.
- High-Voltage Direct Current for Offshore Wind Transmission (4 projects, $8.5 million): Pojects will support standards for HVDC transmission for offshore wind, develop and validate innovative controls to ensure reliability and compatibility with alternating current and direct current, as well as identify and address gaps in education and workforce training.
- Advancing Deployment of Distributed Wind (1 project, $4,500,000): Project will improve permitting processes to make distributed wind more accessible to communities where it can be cost-effectively and equitably deployed.
- Offshore Wind Energy Social Science Research (5 projects, $6.5 million): Projects will help characterize economic and other impacts of offshore wind development on local communities, and build capacity for communities to better participate in and benefit from offshore wind development.
- Bat Deterrent Technology Development (5 projects, $7.5 million): Selected projects will advance bat deterrent technologies by supporting bat behavioral research, technology development and field testing.
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) Funding for Domestic Near Net Shape Manufacturing to Enable a Clean and Competitive Economy – Click here for details about the winner.
- Near Net Shape Manufacturing (1 project, $14,900,000): Project will focus on the manufacturing practices of large-scale machinery that makes enormous hydropower equipment using 3D printing, potentially reducing the production cost by 20% and lead time by four months.
AMMTO Funding for Large Wind Turbine Materials and Manufacturing – Click here for details about each winner.
- Large Wind Blade Additive Manufacturing (4 projects, $7,996,328): Focused on the integration of additive manufacturing techniques specific to the production of large wind blades, enhancing efficiency and adaptability in the blade creation process.
- Additive Manufacturing of Wind Turbine Components (3 projects, $5,999,845): Concentrated on employing advanced additive manufacturing approaches to produce critical components for wind turbines, streamlining production and allowing for innovative design adaptions.
- Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, and Sustainability (6 projects, $15,891,793): Initiatives centered around state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, materials research and sustainable practices tailored for the development and production of large wind blades. Key areas of interest include automation, digitalization, sustainability and modular blade construction/joining.
The goals of these projects align with DOE’s Offshore Wind Strategy, the Offshore Wind Supply Chain Road Map, the interagency Floating Offshore Wind Shot, and the priorities identified in DOE’s 2022 Wind Energy Supply Chain Deep Dive Assessment.
Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time.
