NEXT GENERATION WIND

Energy awards $4 million for wind research
H. Josef Hebert, June 25, 2007 (AP via Yahoo News)

WHO
Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, US Energy Department (DOE), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Massachusetts Partnership, Lone Star Wind Alliance

WHAT
DOE selected the Massachusetts Partnership and the Lone Star Wind Alliance as recipients of $2 million grants for the development of next-generation large-scale wind turbine blades testing facilities.
turbine basics (click to enlarge)

WHEN
Announcement June 25. Research facilities expected to be operational by 2009.

WHERE
- Massachusetts testing will be at Boston Autoport in Boston Harbor w/ Massachusetts Port Authority, University of Massachusetts and other state agencies.
- Texas testing will be an Ingleside, TX, center w/ private companies, state agencies and nine universities.

WHY
- Total cost of each project is expected to be $20 million. Each state has pledged the $18 million balance in grants, loans and funding.
- NREL will work with the recipients to build the research facilities.
the research is to figure out how to get the big blades off the ground (picture from treehugger)

QUOTES
Bodman (from DOE ): “These two testing facilities represent an important next step in the expansion of competitiveness of the U.S. domestic wind energy industry…We congratulate Massachusetts and Texas for their outstanding proposals and we believe this work will build upon the Administration’s goal of prompting states to research, develop and deploy more clean energy technologies."