National Consortium Will Create a Public-Private Partnership of Industry Leaders to Advance Offshore
Wind Technology, Drive Wind Innovation and Combat Climate Change
Offshore Wind Supports Governor Mandate for 50 Percent of State’s Electricity
to Come from Renewable Resources by 2030
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority was awarded a $18.5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to lead a nationwide research and development consortium for the offshore wind industry. The award to establish the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium furthers New York’s leadership role in advancing the cost effective and responsible development of offshore wind. The consortium will be supported through a public-private partnership including the offshore wind industry, utilities, research laboratories, and other states.
“New York leads the nation in its commitment to renewable energy, and offshore wind is an affordable clean energy source that will power our future,” Governor Cuomo said. “This consortium cements our role as the national capital of the offshore wind industry and will drive innovation and development, support job creation and bolster our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a cleaner, greener New York for all.”
Richard Kauffman, Chairman on Energy and Finance, New York State, said, “Under Governor Cuomo, New York is leading the charge to develop an emerging offshore wind industry to combat climate change and create jobs. I’m thrilled NYSERDA’s expertise and leadership has been recognized to lead this work with other states and the consortium to responsibly build this industry while providing enormous benefits for all New Yorkers.”
Alicia Barton, NYSERDA President and CEO, said, “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York has taken the lead in developing this renewable energy resource that will deliver economic and environmental benefits beyond New York’s borders. Together with our industry and state partners, this consortium will advance research to lower the costs of offshore wind energy and create a center of U.S. innovation and product development that will help make offshore wind the self-sustaining clean energy industry that we need to fight climate change.”
The consortium is a nationally focused, independent organization dedicated to advancing offshore wind technology and supporting innovations in wind plant design; developing methods to reduce siting and installation costs; and exploring advanced technological solutions for operations, maintenance and supply chain development. Industry, academia, and national laboratories were enlisted to support consortium initiatives to target barriers that slow the adoption of offshore wind technologies, including cost.
The grant will be matched by financial support from NYSERDA and is for a term of four years. Building on successful European models, the consortium is engaging private sector support that will allow it to chart a path to financial self-sufficiency, so it can continue its work when federal support ends.
Congressman Eliot Engel said, “As a Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I believe that the offshore wind industry is likely to play a key role in establishing and maintaining our country’s energy security in the future,” said. “This federal grant represents a terrific opportunity for New York to become not only a national leader, but also a global leader in this environmentally friendly, economically promising field.”
Congressman Paul Tonko said, “The fastest road to America’s clean energy future runs through New York. Our state has proven again that it not only has the workforce and technical capacity to drive our nation’s achievements in wind energy, we are also home to visionary organizations including NYSERDA that help us lead the way. Congratulations to the leadership and staff at NYSERDA for earning this much-deserved federal support and to the Department of Energy for their sound judgment in awarding it. I look forward to the expertise and innovations developed in New York that enable offshore wind technology to reach its fullest potential.”
NYSERDA teamed with Carbon Trust and the Renewables Consulting Group to establish an industry led and independent group with a nationwide focus. Its board members include offshore wind developers, public sponsors and representatives of national utilities and national laboratories. The consortium includes New Jersey and California, and will be reaching out to other states to join.
Jan Matthiesen, Director, Carbon Trust, said, “The Carbon Trust is delighted to support NYSERDA in coordinating the collaborative research and development activities of the consortium on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator has been driving cost reduction in offshore wind across Europe for the past decade, centered around its industry-led, market-pull approach to executing ground-breaking innovation and research and development projects, and it is exciting to see the U.S. Department of Energy choose to adopt this model too. We firmly believe that this consortium will help deliver maximum impact and return on investment for the U.S. and deliver continued cost reduction and economic development as this burgeoning industry takes off.”
Doug Pfeister, Managing Director at The Renewables Consulting Group, said, “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 United States. 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.”
Joe Martens, Director of the New York Offshore Wind Alliance, said, “The DOE grant to NYSERDA is outstanding news for New York and the country. It marks another giant step toward capturing a pollution-free and fuel-free source of energy and delivering it to the cities and densely populated coastal areas that need it the most,” said, “The grant is a capstone to the Governor’s efforts to advance offshore wind energy, not only in New York, but around the country.”
Robert Catell, Chairman, Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC) at New York State University at Stony Brook, said, “This is an excellent example of collaboration between the US Department of Energy, the State of New York, NYSERDA, the Stony Brook University Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center, and private industry. As Offshore Wind technology advances so rapidly around the world, this will keep the US competitive at a critical time, taking advantage of expertise and wind potential in the US Northeast.”
Governor Cuomo released the comprehensive New York State Offshore Wind Master Plan earlier this year, which will guide the responsible and cost-effective development of 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, enough to power up to 1.2 million homes with clean energy. To jumpstart New York’s development of offshore wind, Governor Cuomo announced in his 2018 State of the State address that in 2018 and 2019, the state will issue two solicitations to secure a combined total of at least 800 megawatts of offshore wind power. These solicitations are the first step toward achieving the Governor’s goal of 2,400 megawatts of offshore wind by 2030. The Governor also directed NYSERDA to invest $15 million in clean energy workforce development and infrastructure advancement to train workers to support the growth of the offshore wind industry.
