Abstract
In order for our nation to develop its vast offshore wind resource in a manner that respects the ocean environment and its many stakeholders, it is critical that we develop a coordinated, long-term strategic vision for advancing American innovation in this new industry. This vision is particularly relevant to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which has, inter alia, set a target of 25% of its electricity needs supplied by renewable sources by 2030. In accordance with this goal the Commonwealth has also mandated that 1600 MW of offshore wind be installed by 2027. This has been followed by opening up of three leases in federal waters off Massachusetts, selected with the help of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The Massachusetts Research Partnership (MRP) in Offshore Wind, launched with seed funds from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center's Renewable Energy Trust, includes six Massachusetts academic and research institutions - Northeastern University, Tufts University, UMass Amherst, UMass Dartmouth, UMass Lowell and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The goal of the MRP is to develop a data driven multi-disciplinary system level framework for offshore wind research needed to galvanize academia, industry, stakeholders, and policy makers in order to create a resilient, low-risk, productive, and world-leading offshore wind infrastructure and portfolio of wind farms. The MRP was established to prepare a national research agenda that will align the efforts of federal, state, and other entities that share a vision for offshore wind, and suggest how stakeholders can collectively work together to further develop and support an effective national research program. The Wind Energy Center and the Clean Energy Extension program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have active education and research programs in the area of offshore wind. With the support of the MRP workshops on Development of a National Offshore Wind Research Agenda were held during 2016 – 17. These workshops mobilized key players in the New England area and beyond and set the stage for further collaboration. Working closely with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other institutions, the Partnership for Offshore Wind Energy Research (POWER-US) initiative was recently formed. POWER-US will develop national collaboration that will accelerate the growth of the nascent offshore wind industry in the US. This paper will talk about the initiatives that are currently in progress in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including findings from the MRP workshops on Development of a National Offshore Wind Energy Research Agenda, and ongoing research and development initiatives that support development of the supply chain for the offshore wind industry in the Commonwealth and in New England.
