Workshop on Research Needs for Offshore Wind Resource Characterization: Summary Report: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Wind Energy Technologies Office convened 'Research Needs for Offshore Wind Resource Characterization,' a workshop in Alexandria, Virginia, on March 5-6, 2019. Wind resource characterization includes meteorological information to estimate annual energy production, forecasts to ensure economical and reliable wind energy integration, and turbulence characterization for developing and applying design load criteria. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together representatives from the offshore wind industry and marine environmental research community to share views on meteorological and oceanographic information needed to successfully develop offshore wind projects in the United States. It was also intended to identify current industry knowledge gaps that can be effectively addressed by researchers with current and emerging observational and modeling tools. The workshop was in response to one of the key challenges articulated in the National Offshore Wind Strategy: reducing costs and technology risks through improved offshore wind power resource and site characterization. The strategy noted that 'a better understanding of the unique meteorological, ocean, and seafloor conditions across U.S. offshore wind development sites will allow for optimized designs, reduced capital costs, greater safety, and less uncertainty in preconstruction energy estimates, resulting in reduced financing costs.' The workshop built on the National Offshore Wind Strategy, as well as previous workshops and reports that have informed this research area, providing the basis for future investment in offshore resource characterization research.