2026 Distributed Wind Turbine Competitiveness Improvement Project

The 2026 Distributed Wind Turbine Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP), solicitation RFX-2026-10008, is a best-value selection effort managed by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) for the Department of Energy. The project aims to enhance U.S. leadership in distributed energy by assisting domestic manufacturers in reducing the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for wind turbines with a rated power of 1000 kW or smaller. The scope is divided into thirteen topic areas across three primary categories: wind turbine development, power electronics development, and common areas such as manufacturing process innovation, technology commercialization, and field validation. The project emphasizes increasing the number of certified turbines in the U.S. market and requires adherence to professional engineering standards, including ANSI/ACP 101-1-2021 for small turbines and UL electrical safety standards. Subcontracts will be awarded as Firm Fixed Price with Price Participation, with maximum award amounts ranging from 200,000 to 800,000 dollars depending on the topic area. The standard period of performance is twenty-one months, though field validation projects may extend up to sixty months. Evaluation is based on a combination of technical factors, team qualifications, and listing plans, with additional programmatic weight given to manufacturer, geographic, system configuration, topic, and turbine size diversity to ensure a balanced cohort of small American businesses. Eligible offerors must be U.S. companies performing work within the United States. Key administrative requirements include electronic invoicing via the NLR Accounts Payable office and strict adherence to DOE public affairs and classified information directives.