Curious Timing! New Offshore Renewable Energy Research = $22 Million +20 Million

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With the US oil and gas industry in a state of collapse, now would be a good time for the nation to invest in energy infrastructure that has real staying power — not just concrete infrastructure but intellectual capital as well. That seems to be what’s brewing in the minds of the Department of Energy. It has just launched a new $22 million renewable energy R&D initiative aimed specifically at building up the nation’s stockpile of expertise in the marine area. That’s just for starters, because another $20 million is already in the mix.

renewable energy offshore wind
Renewable energy (offshore wind) strategy report (cropped, US DOE)

Sure seems like someone is prepping to pivot the nation’s energy workforce toward sustainable fuels, and fast. That’s something to keep in mind as top oil and gas execs go meet with the current occupant of the Oval Office this week, hats in hands.

$22 Million (More) For US Offshore Renewable Energy Research

To be clear, federal plans for developing US marine energy were brewing all through the boom times enjoyed by the oil and gas industry.

Things in that area ramped up considerably during the Obama administration, including the startup of a wind turbine R&D center at Clemson University in the coastal state of South Carolina.

The renewable energy research train picked up steam during the Trump administration as well. That may seem odd, considering that Trump swept into office on a tidal wave of fossil fuel support while pooh-poohing renewable energy in general and offshore wind energy in particular.

Nevertheless, Trump’s tenure has seen a tsunami of activity in the offshore wind area, including the startup of a new national wind R&D consortium supported by the Energy Department. That initiative is being spearheaded by New York State, which has already grabbed the offshore wind ring despite being all but landlocked (all but Long Island, that is).

Now along comes another $22 million for another marine energy research initiative, plus $20 million more on top of that. What gives?

What’s Behind The New Renewable Energy Research

What, indeed. Offshore wind is already a mature industry, so one might wonder why new research is needed.

Fair enough. For one thing, if you dig a little deeper into the offshore wind area you’ll come upon floating wind turbines. That sector has been picking up steam recently, but so far no one-size-fits-all solution has bubbled up to the surface.

Supply chain issues offer up a whole ‘nother area of investigation, especially concerning the issue of domestic sourcing.

In addition, the renewable energy depths of the ocean go far beyond wind. Tidal energy, wave energy, and ocean thermal power are also in the mix.

The Energy Department offered up a rather suggestive explanation in a public statement announcing the $22 million wind energy research initiative earlier this week.

“The…primary goal is to increase the likelihood of commercial adoption of marine energy technologies, while developing intellectual capital for U.S. technology leadership in ocean sciences and marine energy,” it explained.

Intellectual capital is code for exporting technology, by the way.

Hammering home the point, the new initiative is dropping dollars outside of the nation’s network of federally funded laboratories, in an effort to cultivate the renewable energy workforce of the future.

“This opportunity offers more real world experiences to students and researchers at universities and non-federal research institutions providing more expansive research and testing resources,” the Energy Department said. “Offering students and other researchers the opportunity to participate in industry-level problem solving prepares them for the next level of career development.”

Timing Is (Or Isn’t) Everything

In all likelihood, plans for the new research initiative must have been swimming along the halls of the Energy Department long before the oil and gas market collapsed. Who would have thought things would go so bad, so quickly? Still, the coincidence in timing is remarkable. With the collapse of the global fossil fuel market, the US energy workforce needs to pivot more quickly into the renewable energy sector. The new research initiative will help.

Here in the US, renewable energy is already nudging coal out of the electricity market, thanks in part to vigorous growth in the wind industry. Natural gas looks like the next domino to fall in the near future. On the far horizon, wind power could also be a factor in wiping the mat on heavy duty transportation and thermal fuel through power-to-gas technology.

Offshore Renewable Energy: But Wait, There’s More

CleanTechnica is reaching out to the Energy Department for some insights on the kinds of marine technologies it is anticipating for the new $22 million research initiative.

In the meantime, the agency is hedging its bets with another $20 million funding initiative aimed at sparking another wave of innovation in the offshore wind industry, announced just yesterday.

Some of the dollars will go to new technologies for improving weather models aimed at forecasting offshore wind energy production, with the idea being to bump up efficiency and drive costs down.

The direction of the other dollars is where things get really interesting.

“Additionally, funding [for] offshore wind projects can increase confidence in pre-commercial technologies and methodologies, paving the way for the development of a world-class U.S. offshore wind industry of the future,” explained the Energy Department, with this further elaboration:

“The proposed project must either implement an innovative technology at engineering/pilot or full-scale, and/or employ a methodology that has yet to be used commercially in the United States for offshore wind, at an offshore wind project that is planned to be operational by 2025.”

The clock is ticking! If you have any idea what might be cooking, drop us a note in the comment thread.

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Photo (cropped): US Department of Energy.


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Tina Casey

Tina specializes in advanced energy technology, military sustainability, emerging materials, biofuels, ESG and related policy and political matters. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on LinkedIn, Threads, or Bluesky.

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