The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has set out plans to invest $4.75 million to establish a new national center of excellence to accelerate offshore wind deployment across the United States.
The Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind (ARROW), led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst with approximately 40 partners, will focus on workforce development, targeted research, and partnerships and strategies to advance offshore wind development.
As offshore wind energy development grows there will be an increasing demand for workers across a broad range of disciplines.
The selected ARROW consortium, funded by DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office, will provide inter-disciplinary educational opportunities to help advance the next generation of offshore wind workers.
ARROW comprises of eight universities, three national laboratories, two state-level energy offices, and many industry and stakeholder groups. It is designed to foster and support a diverse, enduring offshore wind workforce.
As part of its work, ARROW will support three programs, including ARROW-Empower, that will focus on a comprehensive educational scale-up for offshore wind, advancing the education of 1,000 students over the initial 5-year life of the center.
The second, ARROW-Innovate, will conduct research on infrastructure, atmospheric and ocean conditions, and marine and human ecology to advance the resiliency of offshore wind.
Arrow-Engage program will connect with communities across the country and help ensure benefits from offshore wind are spread equitably, while also helping to grow a diverse domestic workforce
This academic and training hub, which includes partners across the United States, will help drive progress toward the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030, 100% clean electricity grid by 2035, and net zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.
“Offshore wind can play a major role in decarbonizing the U.S. electric grid, and meeting its potential will require skilled workers to propel us forward. This consortium will provide timely and relevant training and education to help foster the domestic offshore wind workforce of tomorrow and secure a clean energy future for all Americans,” said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.