The US government will invest $72 million in three sets of projects that will innovate the production of wind and water technologies while accelerating their sustainable deployment, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Thursday.
As part of the funding, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in clean energy infrastructure in US history, is providing $27 million for 15 projects to support research, development, and community engagement to accelerate the sustainable deployment of offshore and land-based wind energy.
The law also provides $45 million for 14 projects that will both make the domestic manufacture of these technologies quicker and less expensive.
Together, these investments will support the government’s efforts to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030 and achieve a net zero carbon economy by 2050.
‘The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to deploying wind turbines that harness the clean power of wind while at the same time ensuring the clean energy transition is built in America’s factories,’ US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm was quoted as saying in a statement.
Accounting for more than 10% of total domestic electricity generation, wind energy is the largest source of renewable power in the US.
To achieve a fully decarbonized power sector by 2035, the pace of wind energy deployment across the country aims to increase from an average of 7 gigawatts per year today to between 70 and 145 gigawatts per year by the end of the decade.
‘Wind energy is among the most affordable and sustainable clean energy resources in the United States—this funding will demonstrate how wind power can benefit different communities and strengthen our domestic supply chain through innovation,’ Granholm said.
