News
Below are some select news stories from the National Wind Technology Center. Subscribe to the RSS feed 
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June 3, 2013
DOE Releases Wind Powering America Impact Study 
DOE released an independent review of Wind Powering America that assessed the impacts of the WPA activity both in general and in the states where the initiative was active.
June 3, 2013
University of Maine Launches First U.S. Grid-Connected Offshore Wind Turbine
DOE has recognized the nation's first grid-connected offshore floating wind turbine prototype off the coast of Castine, Maine.
May 21, 2013
Wind Powering America Hosts 12th Annual All-States Summit: A Wind Powering America Success Story
Presenters at Wind Powering America's Annual All-States Summit focused on wind energy in a troubled market, discussing how the current uncertainty in the market regarding energy costs, renewable energy policy, and climate debate are impacting the wind market.
May 20, 2013
Baring-Gould Receives Champion Award from Women of Wind Energy
The award honors "an individual who has significantly contributed to the advancement of women in the field of renewable energy…as well as advocating for workplace practices that support women in a manner that fosters a path forward."
April 11, 2013
DOE and NREL Announce Inaugural Collegiate Wind Competition Teams
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are pleased to announce the teams selected to take part in the inaugural DOE Collegiate Wind Competition.
April 8, 2013
New U.S. Offshore Wind Supply Chain Development Resources Available
The U.S. Department of Energy funded the State-Specific Offshore Wind Supply Chain Opportunities site, which analyzes supply chain development opportunities in 24 coastal states.
April 8, 2013
Developing Wind Energy Projects in Alaska: Wind Powering America Lessons Learned
Rich Stromberg, wind program manager for the Alaska Energy Authority, shares lessons learned from wind development in his state.
April 8, 2013
Senator Introduces Legislation to Fund Nebraska Wind for Schools Project
Nebraska Senator Ken Haar introduced a bill that would appropriate $50,000 annually in fiscal years 2013-14 and 2014-15 to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents for the Nebraska Wind Applications Center in Lincoln.
March 25, 2013
U.S. Virgin Islands Begins Collecting Wind Resource Data: A Wind Powering America Success Story
With technical assistance from the U.S Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Virgin Islands Energy Office is preparing to develop the territory's first commercial wind farm.
March 25, 2013
Milestone Cleared for Offshore Wind Energy Research Lease in Virginia
The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced an important step toward issuing a wind energy research lease to the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Mines Minerals and Energy.
March 22, 2013
DOE Kicks Off Inaugural Collegiate Wind Competition
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently issued a request for proposals to participate in DOE's inaugural National Collegiate Wind Competition.
March 22, 2013
Shedding Light on Offshore Wind Resources
The Chesapeake Bay light tower, which is located offshore approximately 13 miles east of Virginia near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, is being considered for use as a Reference Facility for Offshore Renewable Energy.
March 22, 2013
Minimal Impacts Could Mean More Deployment for Wind and Solar
The Western Wind and Solar Integration Study, one of the largest regional wind and solar integration studies to date, found no technical barriers to the integration of high penetrations of wind and solar power if certain operational changes could be made.
March 22, 2013
NREL Study Finds Barotrauma Not Guilty
According to a recent National Renewable Energy Laboratory study, it appears unlikely that the pressure changes around operating wind turbine blades are large enough to cause fatal barotrauma.
March 22, 2013
NREL's System Advisor Model: New Features Improved Capabilities
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's System Advisor Model includes dynamic new features for modeling wind, photovoltaic, concentrating solar power, geothermal, and biopower systems.
March 22, 2013
NREL's Wind Technology Patents Boost Efficiency and Lower Costs
Wind energy research conducted during the last decade has earned NREL two patents, one for adaptive pitch control and one for a resonance blade test system that will ultimately help its industry partners increase the efficiency of wind technologies and reduce the cost of wind energy.
March 14, 2013
Wind Applications Center Valuable Resource for Wind for Schools Partners
Wind Applications Center Director Jerry Hudgins discusses the Nebraska-based center's successes and challenges.
March 11, 2013
Case Study: Burke Mountain Wind Turbine, East Burke, Vermont
The Burke Mountain ski area operates on 270 acres of mountain terrain and is home to the Burke Mountain Academy. As part of the ski area's environmental sustainability efforts, the resort's owners installed a 100-kilowatt Northwind 100 wind turbine in October 2011.
February 28, 2013
Wind for Schools Program Impacting Nation's Renewable Energy Future
Program Consultant Dan McGuire talks about the projects in the Nebraska Wind for Schools Program, the goals of the program, and the importance of Wind for Schools programs for Nebraska and the nation.
February 25, 2013
Providing Incentives to Help Grow Small Wind: Wind Powering America Lessons Learned
Wind Powering America asked Mark Mayhew, small wind program manager for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, to share lessons learned while managing the small wind incentive program in his state (with a $3 million per year budget).
February 25, 2013
Last Call: Illinois Wind for Schools Program Accepting Applications
Three to five middle and/or high schools are selected each academic year as Illinois Wind for Schools program partners for intensive support through on-site teacher training and classroom resources.
February 25, 2013
Xcel Energy Small Wind Funding Available in Minnesota, Wisconsin
Small wind projects and performance testing of innovative wind technology are eligible for this funding.
February 21, 2013
Energy Department Honors South Dakota and Alaska Electric Cooperatives with 2012 Wind Cooperative of the Year Awards
The Energy Department recognized the East River Electric Power Cooperative of South Dakota and the Golden Valley Electric Association of Alaska for their leadership in wind power.
February 13, 2013
2013 Public Power Wind Award Nominations
The award will honor one public power utility for its leadership in wind power.
February 11, 2013
White Earth Nation Installs Turbines: A Wind Powering America Success Story
The White Earth Nation recently completed the installation of two small wind turbines that will help offset energy costs for Minnesota's largest and most populous Native American reservation.
January 30, 2013
Responses Posted to DOE Inaugural National Collegiate Wind Competition RFP Questions
January 29, 2013
Kansas State University Videos Explore Wind Energy
The video, "Students Learn that Speed Doesn't Always Equal Power" documents how wind turbines produce energy. "The Power Behind Wind Farms" explains how fast wind turbine blades can spin and what's inside of those turbines
January 28, 2013
Wind for Schools Project Enters 2013 with 124 Turbine Installations and Lessons to Share: A Wind Powering America Success Story
Forty-six attendees representing the 11 official Wind for Schools states and various stakeholders met to discuss ways to further improve the Wind for Schools network in the established states and to increase the overall impact of the program.
January 28, 2013
Landing a Job in the Wind Industry: Wind Powering America Lessons Learned
Wind Powering America interviewed Marilla Lamb, a 2012 Northern Arizona University (NAU) graduate with a B.S. in environmental engineering, about her work with the Arizona Wind for Schools project while attending NAU and how she found a job in the wind energy industry.
January 26, 2013
Lakewood High School Wins Colorado Science Bowl
Students from Lakewood High School Team 1 won the Colorado High School Science Bowl today. They will go on to the 23rd National Science Bowl in Washington D.C., Apr. 25-29, where they will compete for the national title against more than 400 students from 70 high schools.
January 25, 2013
Wind Energy PTC Extension Essential, Beneficial for Rural America, Entire U.S.
Environmental Law and Policy Center Executive Director Howard Learner discusses the wind power Production Tax Credit that was extended by Congress on January 1, 2013.
January 14, 2013
State Regulatory and Legislative Updates
During the 2012 legislative session, the region's state legislatures took on issues important to wind power spanning siting reform, renewable energy procurement, net metering, and reform of existing program targets.
January 14, 2013
Wind Project Development Updates
As a result of the uncertainty caused by the delay in federal incentives for wind power, developers of commercial-scale wind farms throughout the region focused on pushing a number of large projects across the finish line, while slowing their investment in longer-term projects.
January 14, 2013
Towns throughout New England Acting to Exert Local Control over Wind Siting
The towns' activities span a wide range of issues, including sound and setback requirements, and have included new ordinances, zoning regulations or bylaws, and temporary moratoriums.
January 14, 2013
Wind Energy and Public Health: Research, Discussion, and the Future
As wind energy has become more prevalent throughout New England, one of the issues attracting the most attention as new projects are built in the region is wind turbines' impact on public health.
January 14, 2013
New England Offshore Wind Advances on Several Fronts
At the end of 2012, New England's first two offshore wind projects, Cape Wind and the Block Island Wind Farm, each moved steps closer to fruition.
January 14, 2013
ISO New England Updates
Regional system operator ISO New England (ISO-NE) is working on a series of wholesale market reforms that pertain to or impact wind power in New England.
January 14, 2013
New England Wind Energy Education Project Conference and Webinar Materials Available Online
By collecting and disseminating accurate, objective, up-to-date information on critical wind energy issues impacting market acceptance of the hundreds of land-based and offshore wind development projects proposed in the region, NEWEEP sought to support good decision-making based on good information.
January 14, 2013
New England Wind Forum Helps You Follow Wind-Related Events
A sampling of three organizations hosting recurring events.
January 14, 2013
New England Interview: Stephan Wollenburg, Green Energy Program Director of Energy Consumers Alliance of New England
Mr. Wollenburg discusses how ECANE members' long-term commitments help support the development and financing of local wind projects, and the importance and viability of community-scale wind projects in New England.
January 14, 2013
Small Wind Guidebook Now Available in OpenEI
This guide and the state-specific versions are some of the most successful communications products ever produced by Wind Powering America, with tens of thousands of copies printed and downloaded.
January 14, 2013
New England Wind Forum Publishes Newsletter, Website Updates
This issue features state regulatory and legislative updates; wind project development updates; ISO New England updates; events; an interview with Stephan Wollenburg, Green Energy Program Director of Energy Consumers Alliance of New England; and more.
January 8, 2013
U.S. Department of Energy, Wind Program Initiates Inaugural National Collegiate Wind Competition
The competition is a forum for students to investigate innovative wind energy concepts; gain experience designing, building, and testing a wind turbine to perform according to a customized market data-derived business plan; and increase their knowledge of wind industry barriers.
January 8, 2013
U.S. Department of Energy, Wind Program Initiates Inaugural National Collegiate Wind Competition
The National Collegiate Wind Competition is a forum for undergraduate college students of multiple disciplines to investigate innovative wind energy concepts; gain experience designing, building, and testing a wind turbine to perform according to a customized market data-derived business plan; and increase their knowledge of wind industry barriers. Successful teams will gain and then demonstrate knowledge of technology, finance, accounting, management, and marketing, providing lifelong technical and business skills.
January 2, 2013
Fabric-Covered Blades Could Make Wind Turbines Cheaper and More Efficient
A new design that calls for wrapping architectural fabric around metal wind turbine blades—instead of the traditional fiberglass—could be the latest revolution in dramatically reducing the cost of wind-produced power.
January 1, 2013
Production Tax Credit Extended by Congress
The Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Investment Tax Credits (ITC) will be extended until January 1, 2014 under the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 passed by Congress on January 1, 2013.
