(A) cost-effective turbine designs, compo-
nents, and manufacturing; and 
(B) microgrid applications. 
(7) Advanced transportation mechanisms for 
wind turbine components. 
(8) Transformational technologies for harnessing 
wind energy, including airborne wind energy con-
cepts. 
(9) Methods to extend the operational lifetime of 
onshore and offshore wind turbines and systems. 
(10) Storage technologies to address the tran-
sience and intermittency of wind energy resources. 
(11) Other research areas as determined by the 
Secretary. 
(d) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
Senate a report on the potential for, and technical vi-
ability of, airborne wind energy systems to provide a 
significant source of energy in the United States. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report under paragraph (1) 
shall include a summary of research, development, 
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and demonstration needs, including an estimate of 
Federal funding requirements, to further examine and 
validate the technical and economic viability of air-
borne wind energy concepts over the 10-year period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(e) COORDINATION.—To the maximum extent prac-
ticable, the Secretary shall coordinate activities under the 
program established under subsection (a) with other rel-
evant programs and capabilities of the Department of En-
ergy and other Federal research programs. 
(f) CONFORMING REPEALS.— 
(1) Section 931(a)(2) of the Energy Policy Act 
of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16231(a)(2)) is amended by strik-
ing subparagraph (B). 
(2) Section 4(a) of the Renewable Energy and 
Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 
1989 (42 U.S.C. 12003(a)) is amended by striking 
paragraph (1). 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means any of the 
following entities: 
(A) An institution of higher education. 
(B) A National Laboratory. 
(C) A Federal research agency. 
(D) A State research agency. 
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(E) A nonprofit research organization. 
(F) An industrial entity or a multi-institu-
tional consortium thereof. 
(2) The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(3) The term ‘‘National Laboratory’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 2(3) of the En-
ergy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801(3)). 
(4) The term ‘‘supersized turbine’’ means a 12 
megawatt or greater wind turbine, typically with a 
tower height greater than 140 meters and blades 
greater than 75 meters. 
SEC. 3. WIND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY VALIDATION AND MAR-
KET TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the program estab-
lished under section 2(a), the Secretary shall conduct a 
wind energy technology validation and market trans-
formation program under which the Secretary shall award 
grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to eligible en-
tities to support activities that demonstrate and validate 
new wind energy technologies with the potential to be cost- 
competitive for land-based, offshore, and distributed appli-
cations. 
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(b) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a grant 
under this section shall submit an application in such form 
and manner as the Secretary may prescribe and that con-
tains— 
(1) a certification that any demonstration 
project carried out using grant funds are— 
(A) conducted in collaboration with indus-
try and, as appropriate, with institutions of 
higher education and other Federal research pro-
grams; and 
(B) of sufficient size and geographic diver-
sity to measure wind energy system performance 
under the full productive range of wind condi-
tions in the United States; and 
(2) such other information as the Secretary may 
require. 
(c) FACILITY
FOR HYBRID ENERGY SYSTEM RE-
SEARCH
AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—In carrying 
out the program established under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall establish or support a facility to conduct re-
search and demonstration projects for wind turbines and 
plants in hybrid energy systems that incorporate diverse 
generation sources, loads, and storage technologies. 
(d) OFFSHORE RESEARCH FACILITY.—In carrying out 
the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary 
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shall establish a facility to conduct research, development, 
and demonstration projects for ocean and atmospheric re-
source characterization relevant to offshore wind energy de-
velopment in coordination with the ocean and atmospheric 
science communities. The facility shall be an offshore area 
used to evaluate, test, and advance atmospheric, oceanic, 
biologic, and geologic monitoring technologies that improve 
offshore wind energy development, including the generation 
of benchmark data sets for testing offshore wind energy tech-
nologies and informing how such technologies can be fi-
nanced, insured, and regulated. 
(e) OFFSHORE SUPPORT STRUCTURE TESTING FACIL-
ITY.—In carrying out the program established under sub-
section (a), the Secretary shall create a facility to conduct 
research, development, and demonstration projects for large- 
scale and full-scale offshore wind energy support structure 
components and systems. 
SEC. 4. WIND ENERGY INCUBATOR FUNDING. 
In carrying out the program established under section 
2(a), the Secretary shall conduct research, development, 
testing, and evaluation activities, in accordance with sec-
tion 2(b), to support innovative technologies that are not 
represented in a significant way in— 
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