Ørsted, Eversource commit $5 million to university’s offshore wind research initiatives

Ørsted and Eversource, developers of New York’s Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm, announced the launch of a research partnership with Stony Brook University. The $5 million commitment will underwrite research initiatives specific to advancing offshore wind through Stony Brook’s Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center (AERTC) in connection with the Sunrise Wind Project.

The AERTC, a New York State Center of Excellence in Energy, is a partnership of academic institutions, research institutions, energy providers and industrial corporations. The center’s mission is to promote innovative energy research, education and technology deployment with a focus on efficiency, conservation, renewable energy and nanotechnology applications for new sources of energy.

The funds will support multiple research projects to improve and advance offshore wind energy development and grid integration. The AERTC would focus on interdisciplinary research activities related to:

  • Engineering, construction and logistics for offshore wind power generation;
  • Technological innovations to reduce costs and improve efficiencies of offshore wind;
  • Wind resource assessment and energy production forecasting;
  • Integrating intermittent renewable energy sources with utility grids; and
  • Coordinating the development of offshore wind resources with other commercial offshore uses, particularly the fishing industry.

“We are very excited by the possibilities this partnership with Ørsted and Eversource presents,” said Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis. “Since opening AERTC in 2010, Stony Brook has been effectively advancing renewable energy research and training students who will become the next generation of energy experts. With this research partnership and collaboration, we are poised to make a real impact on the future production and efficiency of offshore wind energy.”

“The offshore wind industry and the prospect of a clean energy future are two of the most exciting developments happening right now in the United States,” said Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind Chief Executive Officer David Hardy. “Stony Brook University has long been positioning itself to be an academic and research epicenter of this green movement. The goal of this partnership is to leverage the academic power of this world-class research institution and apply it to our projects.”

The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. In the U.S., Ørsted operates the Block Island Wind Farm and constructed the two-turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project. Ørsted has secured over 2,900 MW of additional capacity through five projects in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to about 4 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.


Source: Renewable Energy