Letter from the Wind Program Director: Fourth Quarter 2012

This is an excerpt from the Fourth Quarter 2012 edition of the Wind Program R&D Newsletter.

As the 2012 calendar year comes to a close and we look ahead to 2013, we at the Department of Energy have a unique opportunity to not only reflect on where we've been, but to look forward to where we're going.  With the help of the Department of Energy, the wind energy industry has taken great strides this year. We broke ground on a new state-of-the-art facility that will help us to better understand wind plant performance, the Scaled Wind Farm Testing Facility; we acquired an offshore research station that will lead us to a greater understanding of atmospheric conditions in the offshore environment, the Chesapeake Light Tower; we funded seven demonstration projects that will help the United States become a leader in offshore wind and showcase key innovations.

In 2013, we will continue to work toward gaining a better understanding of the complex intersection of wind resource characterization and grid integration. We look forward to several new facilities coming online for testing and analysis. We will continually work to serve as a steward of wildlife and the natural environment and will strive to break down barriers to deployment to allow the wind energy industry to thrive.

In addition to summarizing some of our recent news coverage for those who missed it, this edition of the Wind Program Newsletter highlights projects from our portfolio that confront barriers to increased deployment of wind energy. Thank you for taking the time to read about the most recent developments of the Wind Program. Together, we can learn from the experiences of the past and work towards confronting the challenges of the future.

Thank you for your continued support.

Jose Zayas