As a part of President Biden’s ‘Investing in America’ agenda, a central element of Bidenomics, the US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a funding allocation of $72m for three distinct project categories.
These initiatives aim to revolutionise manufacturing methods for wind and water technologies while expediting the equitable and sustainable expansion of offshore and land-based wind energy.
This financial commitment encompasses $27m sourced from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, designated for 15 projects. These projects are focused on advancing research, development, and community engagement to accelerate the fair and sustainable deployment of offshore and land-based wind energy. An additional $45m will be channelled into 14 projects aimed at expediting domestic manufacturing processes for these technologies, making them more efficient and cost-effective.
Collectively, these investments are poised to simplify the production of tools for wind and hydropower, remove obstacles for communities looking to implement offshore and distributed wind energy technologies, and minimise the environmental impacts on wildlife. Wind and water power are poised to play a pivotal role in the broader efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration, which seeks to deploy 30GW of offshore wind energy by 2030 and work towards a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.
US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said: “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to deploying wind turbines that harness the clean power of wind, while at the same time ensuring the clean energy transition is built in America’s factories.
“Wind energy is among the most affordable and sustainable clean energy resources in the US- this funding will demonstrate how wind power can benefit different communities and strengthen our domestic supply-chain through innovation.”
The demand for large components of wind and water turbines, such as hubs and bedplates, is projected to surge by at least fivefold in the coming decade to align with America’s ambitious clean energy objectives. This funding will provide critical support to manufacturers, enabling them to scale up production and produce the necessary equipment to meet the demands of this pivotal moment in the clean energy sector.
