DoE Invests $90 Million in Offshore Wind Power, Geothermal Energy, Electric Cars

19 projects will receive $26.5 million to address technical challenges with a goal of improving the cost-competitiveness of the US offshore wind energy industry.

Projects include research and development on key components, such as floating support structures and turbine rotor and control subsystems, that could lead to capital cost reductions of up to 50%.

22 so-called "market barrier removal projects" will receive $16.5 million to research factors limiting deployment of offshore wind turbines in the nation’s coastal and Great Lakes regions.

$38 Million for Geothermal Energy

32 projects in 14 states will receive $38 million over three years to develop and test new ways to locate and tap geothermal energy resources.

Projects will support DOE’s goals of lowering costs and financial risks associated with confirming and characterizing geothermal resources.

The research also will tackle key technical challenges to reservoir creation and sustainability of enhanced geothermal systems to meet baseload power needs.

The University of Utah, the University of Texas and the Colorado School of Mines each received multiple awards, as well as numerous national labs.

Electric Vehicles and Workforce Training

DOE announced 16 projects supporting activities in 24 states and the District of Columbia to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in communities across the nation.

Seven additional projects will help prepare college students for careers designing and building advanced vehicle technologies.

$8.5 million in Clean Cities Initiative Awards will support community planning for plug-in EVs and charging infrastructure. Funding recipients range from communities with extensive EV planning experience to those that are eager to begin, but have not previously had the resources to do so.

These one-year projects will help communities address their specific needs, which include updating permitting processes, revising codes, training municipal personnel, promoting public awareness, or developing incentives.

Each community will create a be publicly available plan to help other stakeholders learn best practices.

Separately, DOE’s Graduate Automotive Technology Education (GATE) initiative will fund $6.4 million over five years to support seven Centers of Excellence at American colleges, universities, and university-affiliated research institutions.

http://energy.gov/