The biannual U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Research and Development (R&D) Newsletter provides recent news about the Wind Energy Technologies Office's (WETO) R&D projects, funding opportunities, accomplishments, and recent publications.
Current Research & Development
Turbines in Harmony: Optimizing Wind Energy To Boost Electricity Output
The American WAKE experimeNt (AWAKEN) is compiling the world’s largest and most comprehensive dataset on wind energy atmospheric phenomena, detailing how wind and surrounding air particles interact with wind turbines and wind.
Like musicians in an orchestra, the components of a wind system deliver the best performance when they work in concert. Finely tuned and synchronized instruments are the key to striking the right pitch―and propelling wind energy forward.
As momentum for renewable energy continues to build across the United States, U.S. Department of Energy DOE-funded efforts are underway to dramatically increase the maximum amount of electricity wind farms can produce when operating at full capacity. Two recent projects funded by DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office are helping industry expand wind power capacity.
The American WAKE experimeNt (AWAKEN) is compiling the world’s largest and most comprehensive dataset on wind energy atmospheric phenomena, detailing how wind and surrounding air particles interact with wind turbines and wind farms. This dataset could be used to improve the flow of wind through the average wind power plant and boost potential electricity output by 5%―enough to power approximately 4,000 homes each year.
Turbine placement—either within a single wind farm or across several—can impact wind speed and the amount of power downwind turbines can produce. This is known as the “wake effect,” or the change in the flow of wind after it interacts with a wind turbine or plant.
The project leverages the expertise and resources of DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and its partners, including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories, as well as universities, research institutions, and industry.
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Since its inception in 2014, the Lidar Buoy Program has been instrumental in gathering key data to advance the offshore wind energy industry. -
The wind energy workforce is made up of a wide range of people and skills. Learn about the career journey of PNNL lab program manager Alicia Mahon.
It’s been one year since I began my time as director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), and I’m so proud of the tremendous progress that has been made in the last 12 months.
One thing we’ve been working on since I started is a refreshed vision and mission for our office. Looking ahead to the diverse renewable energy system of the future, we know that our work must be focused on making wind energy more accessible, and secure. Further, we have to be increasingly cognizant of the importance of returning meaningful value to the electricity grid and economic development for the American people. Effectively applying the tools of the federal government in service of these objectives drives our day-to-day efforts.
WETO-funded research has been integral to the advancement of wind energy in the United States. Read our latest case studies in a series highlighting WETO’s historic contributions to wind energy, including how DOE teamed up with NASA to pioneer the modern U.S. wind industry, how an international collaboration led to invaluable wind industry standards, and how investing in blade and drivetrain testing facilities since the 1990s provided crucial knowledge to the ongoing expansion of commercial wind power.
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During the first half of the 2024–2025 school year, 35 teams will participate in the 2025 Collegiate Wind Competition to design floating offshore wind energy technology. -
With three recently installed small wind turbines at the Flatirons Campus in Colorado, WETO is poised to take the next step in proving and improving the next generation of distributed wind technologies. -
Wind turbines need to protect themselves just as communities do during severe weather events and storms. Find out how wind turbines survive severe storms, like hurricanes and tornadoes, and how you can stay safe.
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$16. 9 million funding available for offshore wind and marine energy research and development. -
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Renewable Energy to Communities (C2C) program is now accepting applications for a new round of peer-learning cohorts. -
DOE announces nearly $2 Million to support offshore workforce training programs to promote good-paying jobs in a fast-growing sector in communities across the country -
DOE invests $20M to help address technological and supply chain challenges limiting recycling of fiber-reinforced composites and rare earth element magnets in wind turbines and improve wind energy technologies. -
Six teams were selected for creating cost-effective recycling technologies for U.S. wind energy systems. -
WETO announced funding for 6 small businesses working to accelerate wind energy Research and Development -
WETO and the National Science Foundation Award Funding to Accelerate Floating Offshore Wind ResearchJohns Hopkins University and Portland State University received funding from the National Science Foundation and WETO on a project that will help unlock the vast potential of floating offshore wind farms in the United States. -
Funding will address regional and national offshore wind research and development needs. -
DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recently selected four wind-energy-related projects for Small Business Innovation Research Phase I funding. The announcement is part of DOE-wide awards totaling $54 million.
Featured Publications
Learn more about WETO’s research and development efforts by visiting its Key Publications and Resources page for the latest publications that showcase wind energy advancements and strategic documents that are propelling the industry forward. Additionally, click here to dive into all WETO-funded publications.
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