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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Offshore Wind Technology

The Wind Program funds research nationwide to develop and deploy offshore wind technologies that can capture wind resources off the coasts of the United States and convert the wind out at sea into electricity. Offshore wind resources are abundant, stronger, and blow more consistently than land-based wind resources. Data on the resource potential suggest more than 4,000,000 MW could be accessed in state and federal waters along the United States and the Great Lakes coasts, approximately four times the combined generating capacity of all U.S. electric power plants.

Over the next five years, the program and the Department of the Interior are advancing a national strategy for offshore wind research and development. The Wind Program is leading market analysis and technology development research that will overcome key barriers including the relatively high cost of energy, the mitigation of environmental impacts, the technical challenges of project installation, and grid interconnection.

A National Offshore Wind Strategy: Creating an Offshore Wind Industry in the United States.

Research Project Highlights

In 2011, the Department of Energy allocated $43 million dollars to 41 research and development projects in the Great Lakes, along the Atlantic Coast, and the Gulf of Mexico. These projects are defined under two categories: Technology Development and Market Barrier Removal.

DOE Awards $43 Million Dollars in Offshore Wind Research Grants

Map of the United States showing grants awarded for two wind energy research and development topics: technology advancement and market barrier removal. Awards for technology advancement are located in Washington, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and Florida. Awards for reducing market barriers are located in Oregon, California, Colorado, Texas, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Delaware, North Carolina, and South Carolina

Technology Development

The program invests in projects to develop the engineering modeling and analysis tools required to lower overall offshore facility costs and to design the next generation of innovative large-scale turbines optimized for installation and operation in the marine environment.

Projects awarded funding in 2011:

  • Eight projects will receive $6.7 million to advance the current state-of-the-art modeling and analysis tools for the design, performance assessment, system modeling, and cost assessment of offshore wind systems.
  • Seven projects will receive $3.4 million to develop conceptual designs and assessments of offshore wind plant systems that enhance energy capture, improve performance and reliability, and reduce the cost of energy from integrated wind plant systems.
  • Four projects will receive $16.4 million to research and develop innovative rotor and control systems designs for advanced components and integrated systems to reduce capital costs of these systems by up to 50%.

Market Barrier Removal

The program invests in projects to remove market barriers that limit the deployment of offshore wind in the nation's coastal and Great Lakes regions.

Projects awarded funding in 2011:

  • One project will receive $510,000 to reduce financing costs and increase investor confidence by supporting an offshore wind market analysis to inform stakeholder decision making regarding individual projects, industry issues, and energy policy.
  • Three projects will receive $5.7 million to expedite the permitting process by performing ecological studies and predictive modeling and validating innovative technologies for avian and bat studies.
  • One project will receive $350,000 to assess the current domestic supply chain infrastructure and recommend strategies for national manufacturing infrastructure development to support offshore wind deployment.
  • Four projects will receive $2.5 million to study and plan for the integration of offshore wind energy into the electrical transmission and grid interconnection, thereby increasing technical viability of commercial-scale offshore wind integration.
  • Four projects will receive $1.2 million to support the assessment of ports, vessels, and operations that will be involved with offshore wind energy efforts.
  • Eight projects will receive $5.8 million to develop an accessible network of information on subjects including U.S. offshore wind resources, design requirements for offshore wind turbines, and environmental conditions affecting offshore wind energy systems.
  • One project will receive $500,000 to evaluate the potential effects of offshore wind energy facilities on electronic navigation, detection, or communication equipment such as airborne radar, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), shipboard radios, and SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging).

Advanced Technology Development and Demonstration

The program is also focused on the long-term opportunity to diversify the energy supply with offshore wind in deepwater. This next generation of cost-effective technologies will be designed for deployment in deeper waters further from shore where wind speeds and capacity potential are greatest. Deepwater floating turbine demonstrations and shallow water monopile innovations will arm government, industry, and researchers with critical information that can push market conditions and bring offshore wind development to sea. The program actively supports deepwater floating turbine prototype testing, modeling, and data collection initiatives through partnerships between DOE's national laboratories and private sector organizations pioneering offshore wind deepwater turbine designs.

The program plans to enter technology demonstration partnerships with broad consortia that are developing breakthrough offshore wind energy generation projects. Potential partners could include commercial offshore wind power developers, research consortia, power producers, and/or utilities. For information about the program's funding opportunity for offshore wind development and demonstration projects see Energy Department Announces $180 Million for Ambitious New Initiative to Deploy U.S. Offshore Wind Projects.

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