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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Wind Energy Technologies Office addresses a number of pressing energy needs, from improving technology performance to advancing wind turbines’ design and size to facilitating grid integration of renewable energy. Since wind energy research began in the United States in the 1970s, DOE has brought together industry, academia, and key research institutions to help overcome wind energy deployment challenges related to cost, design, materials, efficiency, and environmental stewardship.

Energy Department Buoy Holds Record for Longest Single Deployment After Collecting 19 Months of Data Off Virginia Coast

One of two research buoys commissioned by the Energy Department's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has ended a 19-month deployment off Virginia Beach, Virginia. During this time, the heavily instrumented buoy collected a wealth of information, which forms the first publicly accessible database to help improve offshore turbine development and reduce barriers to private investment in the offshore wind industry.

The Energy Department recently released the highly anticipated Wind Vision Report that quantifies the economic, environmental, and social benefits of a robust wind energy future through 2050. Defining a Roadmap of targeted actions that the country can take to build upon wind energy’s continued success, the Wind Vision Report revisits the findings of the 2008 20% Wind by 2030 Report.

Tri-State Generation and Transmissions Association (Tri-State) and San Isabel Electric Association (San Isabel) of Colorado have been recognized by the Energy Department and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NREA) as the 2014 WINDExchange Wind Cooperatives of the Year. 

Partnered with AWS Truepower, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Energy Department’s Wind Program released maps in December 2014 that highlight the potential for wind energy development using more advanced wind turbine technologies with higher hub heights of 110 and 140 meters.

This project is benefiting tribal communities in Alaska with fuel savings, increased revenues to local utilities, reduced heating cost, as well as enabling utilities and customers to control costs.

Two state-of-the-art wind testing facilities will accelerate development and deployment of wind energy technologies.

EERE investments help nation take first step toward offshore wind in U.S. waters.

Public Power Wind Award winners' efforts lower energy costs and enable utilities to use wind power more reliably.

eFormative Options promotes understanding of policy options related to distributed wind.

Modeling tool to analyze the ice buildup on wind turbine blades.

Normandeau Associates is developing a tool to check the risk of wind turbine collisions for bird and bat species.

University of Wisconsin's new certificate and Master's programs support wind energy training.