Delahunt, Patrick, and Chu Annouce Funds For Test Center

05/12/2009
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt joined with Governor Patrick and Energy Secretary Steven Chu to announce a $25 million grant to fund a new Wind Blade Testing Facility which will boost the clean energy industry in Massachusetts.

“This funding will make Massachusetts and New England a center for the development of renewable energy technologies, particularly offshore wind,” said Delahunt. “I applaud Secretary Chu for recognizing the importance of the Wind Technology Testing Center to the future of our regional economy.”

Delahunt joined with Senator Kennedy and other members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation in writing to Sec. Chu last week requesting his support of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for the testing center.

In 2007, at the request of Kennedy and Delahunt, the Energy Department selected Massachusetts as a site to build and operate a state-of-the-art wind blade test facility capable of testing large wind blades for the next generation of wind turbines. The project will create 250 construction jobs and become a major component of Massachusetts’ effort to build a strong clean energy technology manufacturing cluster.

Governor Patrick and his administration have partnered on this project with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Massachusetts Renewable Energy Lab in Amherst. The partnership is currently completing the final design for the testing center, and completing the engineering, environmental permitting, and community consultation process. The project will be ready for groundbreaking this summer.

Once finished, the center will be the first commercial large blade test facility in the nation, allowing for testing of blades longer than 50 meters, which currently can be done in Europe but not in the United States – putting American manufacturers at a disadvantage.  

More research and development into longer blades will quicken the creation of large-scale offshore wind power facilities.  The facility will attract companies to design, manufacture, and test their blades in the United States.  It will also promote the growth of American companies who are part of the supply chain for wind turbine production – including fiberglass distributors, advanced composite materials manufacturers and others.

The location of the testing center, at the Boston Autoport in Boston Harbor, provides a shovel ready site featuring proximity to substantial offshore wind resources, truck access, a rail spur and a 1200 ft. dock for transporting blades from ocean going vessels.

Delahunt has touted Massachusetts as a regional center for economic development in the field of renewable energy. He has joined with U.S. Reps. Frank and McGovern to advocate for the new Marine Renewable Energy Center at UMass-Dartmouth that is designating ocean energy research and development zones to boost wind, tidal and wave energy development.

Last year, he joined with Governor Patrick and legislative leaders to boost use of renewable or “clean” fuels in Massachusetts as well as a number of community-based wind energy projects, such as the one based in Hull. Last month, he convened a series of discussions to help make the Massachusetts Military Reservation energy independent through the use of renewable energy. This has been done at other military bases and Coast Guard stations.

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