Old Dominion University has secured a $775,000 grant from the Department of Defense in the US to study mitigation solutions for offshore wind farms.
Researchers from the Virginia institution, along with colleagues from College of William & Mary and James Madison University, will investigate how impacts from arrays on military training, readiness and research can be limited.
Tom Allen, professor of geography, will serve as principal investigator. The effort will be coordinated by Jerry Cronin of ODU’s OpenSeas Technology Innovation Hub.
In 2019, Old Dominion University established an offshore wind task force to help align public and private sector interests as Dominion Energy prepares to build a 220-turbine wind farm approximately 27 miles off the Virginia Beach coast.
The planned $7.8 billion project would be the largest offshore wind farm in the US when fully built.
“The grant will combine the University’s strong capabilities in wind energy and geographic information systems, along with the entrepreneurial business development expertise of the Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship to create a sustainable solution that extends beyond the life of the grant,” Cronin said.
“This award comes at a time when a coordinated approach for all things maritime is more important than ever,” Old Dominion President John R. Broderick added.
“I am proud of all of our researchers as we balance the economic opportunities of our maritime economy with the realities of national military security and our responsibility to protect our natural resources.”