The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman has announced that DOE has selected the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Partnership in Massachusetts, and the Lone Star Wind Alliance in Texas, to each receive up to US$2 million in test equipment to develop large-scale wind blade test facilities.
The states' consortia were selected to enter into agreements with DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to build facilities to test large wind blades, with an ultimate goal of testing blades up to 330 ft. (100m) in length.? NREL will work with states to provide equipment and technical assistance for development and operation. Facilities are expected to be operational in 2009. Including the DOE investment, total project costs of each test facility will total approximately US$20 million.
