The US Department of Energy (DOE) will provide Recovery Act grants of up to US$ 8 million each for three universities to support R&D programs to improve land-based and offshore wind turbine performance and reliability.
The Recovery Act money also will help provide education and career opportunities for students in the field of wind energy technologies. The three universities, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Maine and the University of Minnesota, were competitively selected. The university-led consortia will include partners from private industry, state and local governments and other universities. While the schools can receive up to US$ 8 million each, specific amounts will be determined by the outcome of negotiations between the institutions and DOE. During the next two years, the university consortia will obtain utility-scale and prototype wind turbines that will give both researchers and students hands-on research and development experience in wind energy.
