Greentown Labs, the largest climatetech incubator in North America, and Vineyard Wind, developer of the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in the United States, are now accepting applications for Greentown Go Energize 2023, a program supported by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). Greentown Labs and Vineyard Wind are seeking submissions from startups that are innovating solutions for offshore turbine monitoring and ecological data collection, as well as digital solutions to improve turbine efficiency and longevity.

Vineyard Wind is developing the first utility-scale offshore wind project in the United States—which will eliminate 1.68 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide emissions per year, the equivalent of taking 325,000 cars off the road annually—with construction of the landmark 800MW project already underway. Given the industry’s complexity, it can be uniquely challenging for startups to enter this space. Go Energize 2023 aims to reduce these barriers to entry through industry education, knowledge sharing, and relationship-building across relevant industry networks.

Startups selected for the program will gain access to mentorship, networking opportunities, and educational workshops throughout the duration of the highly structured, six-month program. Program benefits for the participating startups include:

• $70,000 in non-dilutive stipend funding
• A platform to connect with and learn from offshore wind developers, NGOs, scientists, and other key players driving the burgeoning U.S. offshore wind industry 
• An opportunity to engage with developers and other organizations to build collaborative pathways for future startup-corporate partnerships in offshore wind 
• Mentorship, networking opportunities, and educational programming from the Greentown Labs community of climatetech startup experts
• Exclusive access to Greentown Labs, Vineyard Wind, and MassCEC network resources, as well as desk space and membership within Greentown Labs for the duration of the program

Go Energize 2023 is seeking applications from startups with a technology readiness level (TRL) of 3 and higher. Applicants should also be actively commercializing or looking to commercialize within the offshore wind industry. Technologies that have been demonstrated or commercialized for a different market are still eligible, as long as there is a relevant target application.

“As the first commercial scale offshore wind project, we’re not only building a critical new piece of infrastructure, we’re also planting the seeds for a new industry,” said Klaus S. Moeller, CEO of Vineyard Wind.  “By expanding our partnership with Greentown Labs and MassCEC, we can create an ecosystem where companies of all sizes can seize the once in a generation opportunity this new industry represents.”

Technology and process innovation are vital for the offshore wind sector to grow and operate in an environmentally responsible manner while delivering clean, economical electricity to consumers. Vineyard Wind’s role as the preeminent grid-scale offshore wind project in the U.S. will set the standard for responsible development of future projects. Massachusetts is a leader in offshore wind, and its long-term growth depends on accelerating promising, enabling technologies.

“Partnerships like this one with Vineyard Wind and Greentown Labs will help us realize the Commonwealth’s offshore wind goals and deliver clean, reliable energy to residents,” said MassCEC CEO Jennifer Daloisio. “Go Energize 2023, with its focus on ecological impacts and turbine longevity, ensures that offshore wind in Massachusetts is developed sustainably for future generations. MassCEC is excited to work with the Go Energize startups to provide valuable mentoring and education.”

The U.S. offshore wind industry is poised for significant growth—with only 42MW of capacity currently operational—but building the industry to a truly transformative scale will need to be a collaborative effort. Go Energize 2023 was developed with this vision and to help achieve this goal, particularly following the success of the 2020 Offshore Wind Challenge, Greentown’s previous Greentown Go program in collaboration with Vineyard Wind and MassCEC. The New England coastline is a virtually infinite resource of clean and cost-efficient energy, and the offshore wind industry represents an enormous opportunity for Massachusetts to transition away from fossil-fuel dependency. The transition toward sustainable energy will also spur job creation and economic development across the Commonwealth.

“It is a true honor to work alongside Vineyard Wind on a project that will be so impactful for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Kevin Taylor, Greentown’s Interim Chief Executive Officer. “While all of our Greentown Go programs represent a meaningful opportunity to decarbonize the five major greenhouse-gas-emitting sectors, the local relevance of this program does have us particularly excited. Vineyard Wind and MassCEC are doing vital work in our own backyard.”

Greentown Labs runs Greentown Go programs across five tracks: Go Make (manufacturing), Go Move(transportation), Go Energize (energy and electricity), Go Build (buildings), and Go Grow (food and agriculture). These startup-corporate partnerships programs challenge the status quo within each key greenhouse-gas sector as they accelerate partnerships between industry giants and innovators.

Applications for Go Energize 2023 are due by April 4, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants may apply from anywhere in the world. To learn more and apply, visit the Go Energize 2023 website.

Greentown Labs | www.greentownlabs.com 

Vineyard Wind | www.vineyardwind.com

MassCEC | https://www.masscec.com/