1.This Act may be cited as the
Wind Energy Research and Development
Act of 2009
.
2.Wind energy
research and development program
(a)The Secretary of Energy shall carry out a program of
research and development to—
(1)improve the energy
efficiency, reliability, and capacity of wind turbines;
(2)optimize the
design and adaptability of wind energy systems to the broadest practical range
of atmospheric conditions; and
(3)reduce the cost of
construction, generation, and maintenance of wind energy systems.
(b)The program under this section shall focus
on research and development of—
(1)new materials and
designs to make larger, lighter, less expensive, and more reliable rotor
blades;
(2)technologies to
improve gearbox performance and reliability;
(3)automation,
materials, and assembly of large-scale components to reduce manufacturing
costs;
(4)low-cost
transportable towers greater than 100 meters in height to capitalize on
improved wind conditions at higher elevations;
(5)advanced
computational modeling tools to improve—
(A)the reliability of
aeroelastic simulations of wind energy systems;
(B)understanding of
the interaction between each wind turbine component;
(C)siting of wind energy systems to maximize
efficiency and minimize variable generation;
(D)integration of
wind energy systems into the existing electric grid to ensure reliability;
and
(E)understanding of the wake effect between
upwind and downwind turbine operations;
(6)advanced control
systems and blade sensors to improve performance and reliability under a wide
variety of wind conditions;
(7)advanced
generators, including—
(A)medium-speed and
low-speed generators;
(B)direct-drive
technology; and
(C)the use of
advanced magnets in generator rotors;
(8)wind technology
for offshore applications;
(9)methods to assess
and mitigate the effects of wind energy systems on radar and electromagnetic
fields;
(10)wind turbines
with a maximum electric power production capacity of 100 kilowatts or less;
(11)technical processes to enable—
(A)scalability of
transmission from remotely located renewable resource rich areas; and
(B)optimization of
advanced infrastructure design, including high voltage transmission; and
(12)other research
areas as determined by the Secretary.
3.Wind energy
demonstration program
(a)The Secretary of Energy shall conduct a wind energy
demonstration program. In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall ensure
that—
(1)the program is of
sufficient size and geographic diversity to measure wind energy system
performance under the full productive range of wind conditions in the United
States;
(2)demonstration projects carried out under
this program are—
(A)conducted in
collaboration with industry and, as appropriate, with academic institutions;
and
(B)located in various
geographic areas representing various wind class regimes; and
(3)data collected
from demonstration projects carried out under this program is useful for
carrying out section 2(b).
(b)The
Secretary shall carry out the program under this section in compliance with
section 988(a) through (d) and section 989 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42
U.S.C. 16352(a) through (d) and 16353).
4.In carrying out
this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall—
(1)coordinate with
the Office of Minority Economic Impact and with the Office of Small and
Disadvantaged Business Utilization; and
(2)provide special
consideration to applications submitted by institutions, businesses, or
entities containing majority representation by individuals identified in
section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42
U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).
5.Awards under section 2
and section 3 shall be made on a competitive basis with an emphasis on
technical merit.
6.Coordination and
nonduplicationTo the maximum
extent practicable the Secretary of Energy shall coordinate activities under
this Act with other programs of the Department of Energy and other Federal
research programs.
7.Authorization of
appropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Energy to carry out this Act
$200,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014.
Passed the House of
Representatives September 9, 2009.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk.