Overview of DOE's Wind Turbine Development Programs

The development of technologically advanced, higher efficiency wind turbines continues to be a high priority activity of the U. S. wind industry. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting and sponsoring a range of programs aimed at assisting the wind industry with system design, development, and testing. The overall goal is to develop systems that can compete with conventionalelectric generation for $. 05/kWh at 5.8 m/s (13 mph sites) by the mid-1990s and with fossil-fuel-based generators for $.04/kWh at 5.8 m/s sites by the year 2000. These goals will be achieved through several programs. The Value Engineered Turbine Program will promote the rapid development of U.S. capability to manufacture wind turbines with known and well documented records of performance, cost,and reliability, to take advantage of near-term market opportunities. The Advanced Wind Turbine Program will assist U.S. industry to develop and integrate innovative technologies into utility-grade wind turbines for the near-term (mid 1990s) and to develop a new generation of turbines for the year 2000. The collaborative Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)/DOE Utility Wind TurbinePerformance Verification Program will deploy and evaluate commercial-prototype wind turbines in typical utility operating environments, to provide a bridge between development programs currently underway and commercial purchases of utility-grade wind turbines. A number of collaborative efforts also will help develop a range of small systems optimized to work in a diesel hybrid environment toprovide electricity for smaller non-grid-connected applications.