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DOE Accelerates U.S. Floating Offshore Wind Deployment

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is leading the charge towards a future of clean, affordable energy with a massive new investment in floating offshore wind technology. The DOE's groundbreaking plan to advance offshore wind transmission planning, research and technology, and partnerships has just been unveiled as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Floating Offshore Wind Shot Summit. With the vast majority of America's offshore wind resources located in deep-water areas that require floating platforms, the potential to bring clean power to millions of American homes and businesses is staggering.

(imagesource:energypressstaff)

These new actions support the ambitious goals of the Administration's Floating Offshore Wind Shot to reduce the cost of floating offshore wind energy by more than 70% by 2035 and deploy 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind by 2035. This coordinated effort will position the US to lead the world in floating offshore wind technology, create thousands of good-paying jobs, lower energy costs for families, and strengthen U.S. energy security.


In the words of U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm, "Floating offshore wind offers untapped opportunities for us to produce clean, reliable and affordable power for millions." President Biden's vision for America to become a global leader of offshore wind technology and deployment is coming to fruition with this historic investment, which will spur private investment, boost the domestic supply chain, and deliver on our bold clean energy goals.


The DOE's new efforts include an analysis of transmission constraints that currently limit offshore wind development along the nation's West Coast, with a 20-month West Coast Offshore Wind Transmission Study, funded by the President's Inflation Reduction Act. This study will develop practical plans through 2050 to expand transmission to harness power from floating offshore wind for West Coast communities.


In addition, the DOE is collaborating with the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (NOWRDC) and Sandia National Laboratories and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to enhance the cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and reliability at offshore wind sites. This includes the expansion of NOWRDC, which is funded by DOE and others, and the initiation of an offshore wind operations and maintenance roadmap.


With the deployment of a floating scientific research buoy located in Hawaii to collect offshore wind resource, meteorological, and oceanographic data, the DOE is leading the way towards a future of clean, affordable energy that benefits all Americans. Today's announcements are part of the DOE's inaugural Floating Offshore Wind Shot Summit, which supports the interagency Floating Offshore Wind Shot that was unveiled last September. This is part of DOE's Energy Earthshots initiative, which aims to tackle key technical challenges associated with reaching the Biden-Harris Administration's climate goals by harnessing untapped renewable energy potential to mitigate climate change and advance the equitable transition to clean energy in America.


Source:(ENERGY.GOV)

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