To help meet America's increasing energy needs while protecting our Nation's energy security and environment, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is working with wind industry partners to develop clean, domestic, innovative wind energy technologies that can compete with conventional fuel sources. DOE's Wind Energy Program efforts have culminated in some of industry's leading products today and have contributed to record-breaking industry growth.

The following links will provide you with more information about wind energy and the Wind Energy Program's research and development efforts. Some of the documents are available as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

Selected Wind Energy Topics

• Wind Energy Basics
• Low Wind Speed Turbine Technology
• Distributed Wind Energy Technology
• Wind Powering America
• Federal Wind Siting Information Center
• Systems Integration
• Wind Energy Program Multiyear Program Plan 2007 - 2012
  (PDF 2.3 MB)
• Wind Power Today (PDF 2.1 MB)
• Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: 2006 (PDF 2.4 MB)
• Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends: 2006 (A presentation from Ryan Wiser and Mark Bolinger, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (PDF 2.9 MB)
• Wind Energy Program 2006 Peer Review Report
  (PDF 535 KB)
• Wind Technologies Program Strategic Planning Meeting

Since 1976, the U.S. Department of Energy has conducted hydropower research and development to increase the technical, societal, and environmental benefits of hydropower while advancing cost-competitive technologies. Over the years, the program has supported R&D for low power hydropower projects, research on environmental issues and mitigation practices, development of advanced and environmentally friendly hydropower turbines, and hydropower resource assessments.

In FY 2005, the President's budget request and Congressional Appropriations called for a completion of DOE's Hydropower Program in FY 2006 and by the end of 2007, all hydropower research was phased out.

In the FY 2008, appropriations funding was provided for Water Power Energy Research and Development. This activity will allow continued research on conventional hydropower technologies and innovative waterpower technologies, such as thermal and wave technologies. The Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program is in the process of developing a research plan based on this direction and will be releasing more information as it becomes available.

Selected Hydropower Topics

• Hydropower Basics