DOE Establishes Wind Regional Resource Centers
On March 11, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced six Wind Energy Regional Resource Centers, selected through a competitive process administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
- Northeast Wind Resource Center, operated by the Clean Energy Group and Sustainable Energy Advantage
- America’s Islanded Grids Resource Center, operated by the Renewable Energy Alaska Project and Island Institute and covering islanded communities across the United States and U.S. Territories
- Northwest Wind Resource and Action Center, operated by Renewable Northwest;
- Southeast Regional Resource Center for Wind Energy, operated by the Southeastern Coastal Wind Coalition
- Four Corners Wind Resource Center, operated by the Utah Clean Energy Alliance
- Midwest and Prairie Regional Wind Resource Center, operated by Windustry
Working closely with DOE and NREL’s broader outreach and education programs, these Regional Resource Centers will:
- Provide accurate, impartial information about challenges facing wind deployment in their regions, to aid in efforts to overcome or mitigate these challenges.
- Use best practices in education and outreach to deliver this information to create an educated stakeholder community.
- Work with decision-makers to ensure they have the tools to make informed decisions about wind energy projects and related policies in their jurisdictions.
In addition to supporting fact-based decision making and increasing wind energy literacy across the entire nation, DOE is advancing a regional approach in recognition that deployment opportunities, concerns and information needs vary across the country. Partnerships among regional organizations have a unique and critical role to play in meeting these needs.
