Massachusetts Bankrolls Three Offshore Wind Research Projects

The State of Massachusetts has set aside USD 700,000 to advance three studies relating to offshore wind development.

The funds will be allocated to nine academic and research institutions across Massachusetts and it will support offshore wind research projects to identify industry workforce training and safety requirements; establish a multi-university partnership focused on innovation and driving down costs; and develop a new technique to monitor the structural health of wind blades.

“Tapping into the Commonwealth’s world-class academic and research institutions will make Massachusetts a leader in the growing offshore wind sector in the United States,” said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.

“These research projects will identify ways to make offshore wind projects more cost-effective and beneficial to the ratepayers of Massachusetts.”

Funded through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC)’s Renewable Energy Trust, these projects are designed to expand local offshore wind expertise while making projects more affordable for developers and ratepayers.

“These projects will help further establish Massachusetts as a leader in this emerging industry and position our institutions to compete for federal research funding in the future,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “The development of cost-effective offshore wind projects will help diversify the Commonwealth’s energy portfolio, while reducing our carbon footprint.”

Bristol Community College, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy have won USD 248,000 for a Bristol Community College-led effort to identify the workforce requirements associated with the development and construction of offshore wind projects, examining the number of jobs by trade, the health and safety training requirements for offshore wind jobs and the economic benefits to the Commonwealth these jobs would provide. This effort will help to establish training and health and safety programs to maximize local employment and ensure worker safety.

The Massachusetts Research Partnership in Offshore Wind, comprising Northeastern University, Tufts University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, University of Massachusetts Lowell and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, will receive USD 300,000 to develop a multi-disciplinary framework for offshore wind research, focusing on increasing innovation within projects and reducing costs by examining risks, finances and regulations associated with the industry.

The University of Massachusetts Lowell will use its USD 150,000 boost to develop a new system for monitoring the structural health of wind turbine blades, which will use low-cost microphones to detect sound changes caused by damage to a blade. This project will be field-tested at MassCEC’s Wind Technology Testing Center in Charlestown. The project is also being supported by the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s WindSTAR research center and the University of Texas at Dallas.

The funding announcement follows the recent signing of energy legislation which includes a requirement that utilities enter into long-term contract for 1,600MW of offshore wind power not later than 30 June, 2027.

“Massachusetts is a national leader in innovation and technology because of our world class academic and research institutions,” said Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg.

“Through the collaboration by these institutions these projects will put the Commonwealth on a path to building a national model for offshore wind and reducing the impacts of climate change.”