by Shane Henson — March 9, 2012—As part of America’s effort to capitalize on the enormous benefits of renewable energy, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu has announced the start of an ambitious initiative to capture the potential of wind energy off American coasts.
Offshore wind is an enormous potential resource for the United States, with strong, consistent winds located in the Atlantic, Pacific, the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, notes the DOE. America’s vast offshore wind resources, estimated at more than 4,000 gigawatts, will help the United States meet its critical energy, environmental and economic challenges and provide energy to coastal cities where much of the nation’s population and electricity demand lies.
To support these new demonstration projects, the DOE will make available up to $180 million over six years, subject to congressional appropriations, including an initial commitment of $20 million in fiscal year 2012. The DOE will focus this latest research and demonstration initiative on highly innovative technologies that will achieve large cost reductions over existing offshore wind technologies. The demonstrations will help address key challenges associated with installing utility-scale offshore wind turbines, connecting offshore turbines to the power grid, and navigating new permitting and approval processes.
In addition to the new funding, the DOE is continuing to work with partners across the federal government to implement a comprehensive offshore wind energy strategy, conduct resource assessments, and streamline siting and permitting.
Applicants to the competitive solicitation are expected to form world-class consortia of energy project developers, equipment suppliers, research institutions and marine installation specialists. DOE funds may be used to cover up to 80 percent of a project’s design costs and 50 percent of the hardware and installation costs. Letters of intent are due on March 30 and applications are due on May 31, 2012.
