The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded of a $18.5m grant to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to set up the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (NOWRDC) to advance the “cost-effective and responsible development” of the resource in the region’s waters.

NOWRDC, which will be developed by NYSERDA with the UK Carbon Trust and the Renewables Consulting Group (RCG), will be supported via a public-private partnership involving the offshore wind industry, utilities and research laboratories.

The consortium will channel experience from the Carbon Trust’s ground-breaking Offshore Wind Accelerator programme, which since launch in 2008 has spearheaded cost reduction in the UK offshore wind industry through innovation and R&D projects.

“Building off the success seen in Europe, the consortium’s work will provide valuable technical and analytical insight lowering the costs of offshore wind to develop a robust and thriving industry that will lead to job creation and economic development,” said NYSERDA chief executive Alicia Barton.

“The work conducted by the consortium complements Governor [Andrew] Cuomo’s call to build offshore wind in a cost-effective and responsible way that will benefit all New Yorkers.”

Carbon Trust director Jan Matthiesen stated: “The Carbon Trust … [has] been at the forefront of delivering cost reduction across the European offshore wind market and we are excited to be involved in helping translate these cost reductions to a new market with enormous potential.

“The US has ambitions to be the world leader in installed offshore wind capacity, and it is exactly this sort of collaborative program that can help deliver on that goal.”

RCG managing director Doug Pfeister added: “We're delighted that the DOE has selected RCG, NYSERDA and the Carbon Trust to advance R&D efforts for offshore wind energy in the US.

The team assembled will deliver incredible value as we look to bring much more of this powerful renewable resource into the energy mix in New York and beyond."

NOWRDC programme aims to advance offshore wind plant technologies; develop innovative methods for wind resource and site characterisation; and support advanced technology solutions for installation, operation, maintenance, and the supply chain.

The initial $18.4m grant from the DOE’, which will be matched by NYSERDA for a term of four years, will boosted by an additional US$2m that will go to US national laboratories to support the NOWRC R&D activities

Momentum in the US has geared up in recent months with Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut awarding contracts for some 1.4GW of new capacity.

There are currently 11 active offshore wind leases in federal US waters, collectively capable of holding around 17GW of capacity, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, although it’s unlikely that every zone will be built to its full capacity.

Wind

US DOE hands out $18.5m for national offshore wind R&D