WINDExchange: Newsletter Issue #113: February 23–March 6, 2015

WINDExchange Newsletter Issue #113: February 23–March 6, 2015 The WINDExchange Newsletter is issued by the Wind Program twice a month to inform program partners and interested individuals of wind energy events, webinars, financial opportunities, new publications, state success stories, and other wind-related activities. If you have news items and success stories to share, please submit them to Ruth Baranowski. News Energy Department Announces 2016 Collegiate Wind Competition Participants The Energy Department announced the 12 collegiate teams selected to participate in the second U.S. Department of Energy Collegiate Wind Competition. The Collegiate Wind Competition challenges teams of undergraduate students to design and build a model wind turbine based on market research and siting considerations, develop a business plan to market their products, and test their turbines against a set of rigorous performance criteria. The Collegiate Wind Competition 2016 will take place at the annual American Wind Energy Association WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, Louisiana, from May 23 to 26, 2016. Obama Administration Announces Clean Energy Innovation Initiative The Administration announced it will launch a Clean Energy Investment Initiative with a goal of catalyzing $2 billion of expanded private-sector investment in developing solutions to climate change, including innovative technologies with potential to reduce carbon pollution. The Energy Department will help by mobilizing a broad range of philanthropists and impact investors to scale up investments throughout the energy innovation pipeline, from laboratory R&D to startup funding to growth-stage financing. New Model Demonstrates Offshore Wind Industry's Job Growth Potential The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed a tool to estimate jobs and other economic impacts associated with offshore wind development in the United States. The modeling tool, which illustrates the potential economic impact and number of jobs associated with fixed-bottom offshore wind technology development, applies to areas of the country with waters shallow enough for fixed-bottom offshore wind technology. Researchers worked with industry representatives in four regions of the country with shallow waters to build the Offshore Wind Jobs and Economic Development Impacts model, or offshore wind JEDI, to develop geographic-specific offshore wind growth scenarios. Results, which can be accessed in the NREL technical report, show that an offshore wind industry in the United States has the potential to support thousands of jobs, even at relatively conservative levels of deployment and domestic supply chain growth. USDA Announces Funding for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that rural agricultural producers and small business owners can now apply for funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to purchase and install renewable energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements. The funding helps farmers, ranchers, and other small business owners save money on their energy bills, reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, support America's clean energy economy, and reduce carbon pollution. USDA is making more than $280 million available to eligible applicants through REAP, with application deadlines varying by project type and the type of assistance requested. Details on how to apply are available through the Federal Register or by contacting state Rural Development offices. USDA is offering grants for up to 25% of total project costs and loan guarantees for up to 75% of total project costs for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. The REAP application window has been expanded, and USDA will now accept and review loan and grant applications year-round. Interstate Turbine Advisory Council Adds Certified Turbine to Unified List The Interstate Turbine Advisory Council (ITAC) added the Pika T701 turbine to its Unified List, which includes wind turbines that meet eligibility criteria that address both the business practices of manufacturers and the performance and reliability of turbines with a rotor swept area of less than 200 meters squared. ITAC-member clean energy programs across the United States use the list to efficiently review and evaluate wind turbines. Global Wind Industry Adds 52 Gigawatts in 2014 According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the wind industry set a new record for annual installations in 2014, adding 51,477 megawatts of new wind generating capacity for a 44% increase in the annual market. China set a new record last year, installing more than 23 gigawatts of new wind power. A full report with country statistics and graphs is available. Bloomberg Publishes Annual Factbook Bloomberg New Energy Finance published the Sustainable Energy in America 2015 Factbook, a document that compiles statistics on U.S. energy trends with a focus on sustainable energy and the role of new technologies in reshaping the industry. In addition to the full report, there is a brochure, slideshow, executive summary, and infographic at the above link. KidWind Project Announces 2015 REcharge Academies The KidWind Project announced dates and locations for the 2015 Recharge Academies, intensive educator training workshops about renewable energy that include replicable hands-on K-12 lessons, lectures from experts, and tours of energy facilities. Scholarships, certificates, and continuing education credits may be available for teachers; see website for details. Webinars Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Webinar: Bringing Low-Cost Wind Power to the Southeast March 10, 2015, 11 a.m. ET Several utilities in the Southeast are purchasing low-cost wind power from the Great Plains, but transmission restraints limit access to additional wind energy resources. Constructing new high-voltage direct current transmission projects could substantially increase access to low-cost wind power resources. A representative from Clean Line Energy Partners will discuss the Plains and Eastern Clean Line project and how to bring substantial amounts of wind power to the Southeast. REAP Round-Up: Renewable Energy Systems March 11, 2015, 2 p.m. ET This webinar is part of a training series for the public on the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).Register for the webinar. Learn more about REAP. REAP Round-Up: Project Finance (Guaranteed Loans) April 2, 2015, 2 p.m. ET This webinar is part of a training series for the public on the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).Register for the webinar. Learn more about REAP. Events NRECA TechAdvantage Conference and Expo Orlando, Florida—February 22–26, 2015 The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) hosts this annual event designed for electric cooperative engineering, operations, information technology, purchasing, and supply management professionals. At this annual event, the DOE Wind Program recognizes rural electric cooperatives that demonstrate outstanding leadership in advancing U.S. wind power. Learn about past winners of the Wind Cooperative of the Year Award. Islanded Grid Wind Power Conference Anchorage, Alaska—March 4–6, 2015 This conference allows participants to learn and share information about wind systems on island and islanded grid environments through expert panel discussions, stakeholder dialogue, and training sessions. The first two days include primer sessions and opening plenaries on the state of the technology, markets, and human capacity. The second day highlights stakeholder presentations on key topics such as energy storage, control systems, O&M, secondary loads, and more. Attendees include researchers, operators, manufacturers, military and government officials, and other stakeholders. AWEA Wind Project Siting Seminar 2015 Austin, Texas—March 10–11, 2015 The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) hosts this annual seminar, which provides attendees with information on how to effectively minimize siting and permitting risks and create conditions that allow facilities to operate in compliance with permit obligations and environmental laws, while maximizing energy output. Distributed Wind 2015 Washington, D.C.—March 24–26, 2015 Distributed Wind 2015 features a business conference with sessions focused on advancing the knowledge of distributed and community wind professionals who want to learn more about growing the market for this wind industry sector. The second day begins with a lobby 101 session, followed by a full day of meetings on Capitol Hill, organized by the Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA) and led by DWEA members. SMART Wind Consortium Electrical Systems Subgroup Meeting Washington, D.C.—March 25–26, 2015 Funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology, the SMART Wind Consortium will connect more than 80 collaborators to form consensus on near-term and mid-term plans needed to increase cost competitiveness of U.S. distributed wind manufacturers through the use of advanced manufacturing techniques. The Distributed Wind Energy Association, supported by eFormative Options and Wind Advisors Team, is conducting face-to-face meetings and conference calls with members of four consortia subgroups: mechanical subsystems, support structures, electrical subsystems, and composite subsystems. Each of these consortia groups will include university and laboratory researchers, U.S. distributed wind original equipment manufacturers, manufacturing extension partners, and U.S. component manufacturers. The goal of these meetings is to become acquainted with the interested stakeholders and to brainstorm possible cost-reducing strategies that will lead to evolutionary product and manufacturing improvements. AWEA WINDPOWER 2015 Conference and Exhibition Orlando, Florida—May 18–21, 2015 WINDPOWER is the largest conference and exhibition for the wind industry in the United States, offering educational, networking, and special events to foster interactions with industry peers, customers, and colleagues. North American Wind Energy Academy 2015 Symposium Blacksburg, Virginia—June 9–11, 2015 The North American Wind Energy Academy (NAWEA) 2015 Symposium includes technical sessions, panel discussions, a graduate student symposium, a poster session, engineering software workshops, a business meeting, social events, and a tour of the Virginia Tech Stability Tunnel. The symposium, the second in a series of technical meetings, will examine a broad range of topics discussing how to achieve high wind penetration in the North American power-generation sector. In addition to wind energy system science and technology technical tracks, the symposium will feature sessions that provide holistic perspectives, overviews, and approaches necessary to maximize future deployment. Small Wind Conference 2015 Stevens Point, Wisconsin—June 15–17, 2015 The first day of the event will focus on the job and education fair, time with exhibitors, and the Iowa Wind Energy Association's annual membership meeting. The second day will be a traditional conference format focusing on a variety of wind energy topics. The conference organizers are now accepting presentation proposals; the submission deadline is February 28. Illinois Renewable Energy Conference 2015 Normal, Illinois—July 16, 2015 The Illinois Renewable Energy Conference will feature plenary speakers and breakout sessions in tracks on policy, technical information, and case studies for wind and other renewable technologies. Event partners include the Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University, Illinois Wind Working Group, Wind on the Wires, Illinois Solar Energy Association, Illinois Biomass Working Group, Geothermal Alliance of Illinois, and Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. The early bird rate is $50 per person. Please visit the WINDExchange calendar to learn about more upcoming events.