DOE Signs MOU with Wind Turbine Makers
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the department and six leading wind industry turbine manufacturers: GE Energy, Siemens Power Generation, Vestas Wind Systems, Clipper Turbine Works, Suzlon Energy, and Gamesa Corporation.
The two-year collaboration is designed to promote wind energy through advanced technology research and development and siting strategies aimed to advance industrial wind power manufacturing capabilities.
"The MOU demonstrates the shared commitment of the federal government and the private sector to create the roadmap necessary to achieve 20 percent wind energy by 2030," DOE Assistant Secretary Karsner said. "To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our energy security, clean power generation at the gigawatt-scale will be necessary to expand the domestic wind manufacturing base and streamline the permitting process."
The agreement builds on the recently released DOE report 20 Percent Wind Energy in 2030 that examines the technical feasibility of harnessing wind power.
Parties to the agreement will collaborate to gather and exchange information to define specific needs for achieving 20 percent wind energy by 2030. The MOU addresses the following areas:
• Turbine Reliability and Operability Research & Development to create more reliable components; improve turbine capacity factors; and reduce installation and operations and maintenance costs.
• Siting Strategies to address environmental and technical issues like radar interference in a standardized framework based on industry best practices.
• Standards Development for turbine certification and universal generator interconnection.
• Manufacturing advances in design, process automation, and fabrication techniques to reduce product-to product variability and premature failure while increasing the domestic manufacturing base.
• Workforce development including the development, standardization, and certification of wind energy curricula for mechanical and power systems engineers and community college training programs.