On April 19, 2010, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), along with Senators Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), Tom Caper (D. Del), Susan Collins (R-Me) and Olympia Snowe (D-Me), introduced a bill that provides funds to expand research and development (“R&D”) of offshore wind energy resources in the U.S. The bill, titled the “Program for Offshore Wind Energy Research and Development Act of 2010,” or the “POWERED Act of 2010” (S. 3226), would create a grant program for R&D on numerous subjects pertaining to wind energy development, including research of ice formation and other weather-related matters, integration of offshore wind energy into the power grid, impacts of offshore wind development on wildlife, and mooring technologies, among many others. The bill also directs the Secretary of Energy to formulate a “comprehensive roadmap” towards expanding offshore wind energy resources in the U.S., which roadmap would be reported to Congress within 180 days of enactment of the bill. S. 3226 was referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on April 19, 2010.
S. 3226 is available at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:s3226is.txt.pdf