DWEA Newsletter – October 2024 – Distributed Wind Energy Association

President’s Message

By Michael Bergey, DWEA President

The way I see it, the outcome of the elections on Nov. 5th will be hugely impactful for the U.S. distributed wind energy market and our industry.

While the races for the White House and control of the House and Senate are too close to call, the situation for our industry has markedly improved over the last several months. I am optimistic that we will fare well. Read more

Legislative Roundup

By Lloyd Ritter, DWEA Policy Director

We are hard at work on policy and advocacy as always, but happy to have a long Congressional recess that began last week and runs till after the November elections. Staff have extra time to chat during the break, which is a plus. And we have more time to plan for possible outcomes of the election. Read more.

Regulatory Updates

2024 Distributed Wind Energy Summit Recap

The virtual Distributed Wind Energy Summit, hosted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) on Sept. 18, brought together more than 125 individuals to learn, discuss, and prepare to act in support of distributed wind deployment. Participants reflected a diverse group of sectors and interests with representation from electric utilities and cooperatives, research institutions, community-based organizations, governments (local, state, federal), construction and engineering firms, businesses, trade associations, curious individuals, and academic institutions.

If you missed the Summit, visit the event webpage for recordings, slide decks, and resources.

Distributed Wind Smart Supports Local Clean Energy Deployment

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) today launched Energy Ready, a new integrated effort funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that supports local governments with free technical assistance and recognizes their improvements in planning, zoning, and for permitting distributed energy generation. Read more

cOCED Plans to Fund $400 million of Clean Energy Projects in Rural America

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) recently issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) for up to $400 million to spur innovative, community-focused clean energy solutions in rural and remote areas across the United States. This funding—made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—will support the deployment of a variety of commercially available, clean energy technologies, demonstrating their viability and benefits to rural and remote residents, and ultimately encouraging widespread adoption.

OCED Plans to Fund $400 million of Clean Energy Projects in Rural America

Fall 2024 Peer-Learning Cohort Applications are Open!

Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) offers peer-learning cohorts to advance local clean energy goals. Peer-learning cohorts are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) with support from the World Resources Institute. Read more

Member News

Accelerating Distributed Wind Converter Interconnection Rates By Automating UL 1741 SB Certification Testing

By Jay Johnson, DER Security Corp; Rachid Darbali-Zamora, Sandia National Laboratories; and Paul Rowan, Windurance

A large and growing number of the United States jurisdictions have adopted IEEE 1547-2018 as their interconnection standard for Distributed Energy Resources (DER). With this change, all newly interconnected Distributed Wind (DW) converters are required to incorporate a specified set of grid-support functions and communication interfaces. Proof that a product contains these functions and interfaces is established by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) which certifies the product to UL 1741 SB. Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) confirm products are UL 1741 SB listed prior to approving them for interconnection. Read more

Stay Up to Date on AgWind Initiative

DWEA’s AgWind initiative, jointly funded by DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) and USDA, is making strides in highlighting distributed wind (DW) for rural and disadvantaged communities. AgWind’s focus on economic benefits for Justice40 and agricultural markets aims to empower these communities by reducing up-front barriers and streamlining project financing. Upcoming efforts will further expand AgWind’s reach and impact.

For more updates, visit the AgWind website. To request a password to access the AgWind Tool, email: help@agwindEnergy.org.

DWEA Members are encouraged to submit news about new wind turbines, products and services, and projects, including photos, to the DWEA newsletter editor at dweacomm@gmail.com. Also, if you have employees that you would like added to the DWEA monthly newsletter distribution, please send their names and contact information, including emails, to DWEA President Michael Bergey at mbergey@bergey.com.

Events

DWEA Service Provider Committee virtual meeting, Oct. 17, 1 p.m. ET. Contact Trudy Forsyth at trudyforsyth2@gmail.com for information.
DWEA Federal Policy Update, Oct. 17, 3 p.m. ET. Click here to join Zoom.
AgWind/REAP DWEA office hours (virtual), Oct. 18, 2 p.m. ET. Register here.
DWEA Mini Lobby Day (In-Person), Washington, D.C., Nov. 13. Register here.
AgWind/REAP DWEA office hours (virtual), Nov. 15, 2 p.m. ET. Register here.
DWEA Service Provider Committee virtual meeting, Nov. 21, 1 p.m. ET. Contact Trudy Forsyth at trudyforsyth2@gmail.com for information.
DWEA Federal Policy Update, Nov. 21, 3 p.m. ET. Click here to join Zoom.
DWEA Service Provider Committee virtual meeting, Dec. 19, 1 p.m. ET. Contact Trudy Forsyth at trudyforsyth2@gmail.com for information.
DWEA Federal Policy Update, Dec. 19, 3 p.m. ET. Click here to join Zoom.
AgWind/REAP DWEA office hours (virtual), Dec. 20, 2 p.m. ET. Register here.
Distributed Wind 2025 Conference & Lobby Day, Arlington, Virginia, Feb. 23-27, 2025. Save the Date!