September 15, 2010

AWS Truepower Wins $2.15 Million in Funding to Improve Efficiency of Wind Power Technologies

NYSERDA-Supported Company Selected from Highly Competitive Field

An innovative clean energy company that has grown with the assistance of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today received an award of $2.15 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to help enhance the use of wind power.

The funding to AWS Truepower, based in Albany, will allow the company to improve short-term wind forecasting.  The company's work will help accelerate the use of wind power in electricity transmission networks by allowing utilities and grid operators to more accurately forecast when, where and how much electricity will be available from wind power.

Francis J. Murray, president and CEO of NYSERDA, said, “The funding provided to AWS Truepower is a tribute to the important work this New York company has done to help further the use of wind power throughout the world. Thanks to the vision of its founder Bruce Bailey and the work of his world class team, the world will realize greater benefits from wind energy. NYSERDA is proud to have been involved with AWS both during its early stages and as it continued to grow in New York. We look forward to even greater accomplishments in the future.”

The award was announced as part of $5 million in funding announced today by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu to support U.S. wind energy development.

AWS Truepower, along with WindLogics, Inc. in Sant Paul, Minnesota, will lead teams of several partners and work with DOE and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to deploy advanced atmospheric measurement systems over a broad area, provide data that allow advanced weather prediction systems to improve short-term turbine-level wind forecasts, and demonstrate the value of these forecasting improvements for electric utility operations. Data from these networks and other sources will be incorporated into an advanced weather forecast model by NOAA to provide more accurate wind forecasts.

“This award will make it possible to greatly improve wind forecasting technology and provide electricity grid operators with highly accurate forecasts, allowing them to predict and plan for the energy output of wind power plants in their systems,” said Dr. Bruce Bailey, President and CEO of AWS Truepower. “We commend the DOE's support for clean wind energy technologies, which in the case of wind forecasting, will enable utilities to more reliably deliver clean power sources such as wind energy and decrease their need for back-up energy sources.”

NYSERDA has partnered with AWS Truepower for many years to support development of a variety of wind technologies. In addition to supporting development of the wind forecasting technology that will be used for this federal grant, NYSERDA also has provided support for projects to develop technologies to analyze the performance of wind plants to help identify ways to maximize the energy output.

Contact:

Jeffrey Gordon, NYSERDA
518-862-1090 ext. 3544
jrg@nyserda.ny.gov