The Carolina Long Bay wind energy lease area is reduced by 14 pct from its initial proposed sale notice in November 2021, based on a review of scientific information and advice from the commercial fishing industry and other ocean stakeholders. Lease conditions include new stipulations from BOEM, including an offer of a 20 percent credit to developers to invest in programs that will advance U.S. offshore wind energy workforce training or supply chain development, union labor agreements and investing in Jones Act-complaint U.S. flag vessels. (Source: US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, PR 25 Mar., 2022) Contact: BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Offshore Wind, Offshore Wind Lease ,
The largest and most expensive site, which could accommodate a minimum of 1,387 MW of installed capacity, went for $1.1 billion to Bight Wind Holdings, LLC, a joint venture between RWE Renewables and National Grid.
Attentive Energy LLC, a joint venture between EnBW and TotalEnergies, won the second most expensive lease site for $795 million.
Shell and EDF Renewables-owned Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Bight, LLC, won the the largest site for $780 million, and the area adjacent to Shell and EDF's was secured by Invenergy Wind Offshore LLC for $645 million.
The Central Bight went to OW Ocean Winds East LLC, an existing JV between EDP Renewables and Engie, for $765 million, while Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind LLC won the Long Beach, NY site for $285 million. (Source: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, PR, 25 Feb., 2022) Contact: BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Offshore Wind,
The COP approval outlines the project's one nautical mile turbine spacing, the requirements on the construction methodology for all work occurring in federal waters, and mitigation measures to protect marine habitats and species.
Installation of the project's 12 monopile foundations and Siemens Gamesa 11-MW wind turbines is expected to get underway in 2023. (Source: BOEM, 19 Jan., 2022)Contact: BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov; Orsted Offshore North America, David Hardy, www.orsted.com; Eversource, www.eversource.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Offshore Wind, Orsted, Eversource,
"As a leader in offshore wind, AVANGRID applauds the much anticipated announcement for a public auction for lease areas within the New York Bight. Given our 4.9 GW off-shore wind project portfolio, we look forward to participating in this historic auction. We have a strong track record of developing projects that incorporate all stakeholders and community interests in a way that brings not only clean energy benefits, but also sustainable economic and societal benefits through project labor agreements, workforce and supply chain development, and marine mammal protections."
According to the company release, "AVANGRID, Inc. aspires to be the leading sustainable energy company in the United States. With approximately $39 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks which owns and operates eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.3 million customers in N.Y, and New England -- and Avangrid Renewables with the following Offshore Wind Portfolio:
Empire Wind will be located 15-30 miles southeast of Long Island and will incorporate 174 wind turbines and associated substations and subsea cables. Beacon Wind, 20 miles south of Nantucket, is planned to include up to 122 wind turbines, subsea cables and a convertor station. Both projects are under review by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
Equinor and BP, which were selected by NYSERDA in January 2021, will provide 1.2 MW of power capacity each from the Empire Wind 2 and Beacon Wind 1 projects. Combined with the partnership's Empire Wind 1 project, the projects will generate a total 3.3 GW of renewable power -- sufficient electricity for about 2 million New York homes.
The agreement includes developing the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a major staging and assembly facility for the offshore wind industry, as well as an operations and maintenance base for the project's offshore farms. The partnership will also invest in the Port of Albany, making it America's first offshore wind tower and transition piece manufacturing facility, as previously reported. (Source: Equinor, Equinor Wind US, PR, 14 Jan., 2022)
Contact: Equinor Wind US, Siri Espedal Kindem, President, www.equinor.com; NYSERDA, (518) 862-1090, www.nyserda.ny.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Equinor, BP, NYSERDA, Offshore Wind, ,
The project, which will incorporate as many as 84 GE Haliade-X wind turbines, will be the first commercial scale offshore wind farm in the country, according to Vineyard Wind -- a joint venture between AVANGRID subsidiary Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
In response to comments and direct engagement with neighboring communities, environmental organizations and advocates, fisheries organizations, as well as governmental and tribal entities, the project has committed to: invest millions of dollars to develop and deploy innovative technologies and undertake scientific research to further safeguard marine mammals; to provide millions to compensate fishermen for potential loss of revenue and gear, as well as to enhance their ability to fish in and around the lease area; and use an Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ALDS) to ensure nighttime lights will only operate a few hours a year when aircraft are present.
Vineyard Wind expects the project will reach financial close in the second half of this year and begin delivering energy to Massachusetts in 2023. (Source: Vineyard Wind, PR, T&D World, 11 May, 2021)Contact: Vineyard Wind, (508) 717-8964, www.vineyardwind.com; BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Vineyard Wind, Offshore Wind, BOEM,
If approved by BOEM, Revolution Wind would be allowed to construct and operate a 100-turbine, 880-MW wind energy facility offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts and deliver energy to Connecticut and Rhode. (Source: BOEM, MV Times, 30 Apr., 2021) Contact: Revolution Wind, www.revolution-wind.com; BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News BOEM, Revolution Wind, Offshore Wind,
The selections announced today include:
DOE established the National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium in 2018 to address research priorities for offshore wind as defined in the National Offshore Wind Strategy, which was developed jointly by DOE and the DOI Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
The Consortium is administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) with DOE and NYSERDA each providing $20.5 million to fund high-impact research projects that lower the costs of U.S. offshore wind.
Download details HERE
(Source: US DOE, Wind Energy Technology Office, National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium, PR, 29 Mar., 2021) Contact: National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium, www.nationaloffshorewind.org; NYSERDA, Doreen Harris, Acting CEO, (518) 862-1090, www.nyserda.ny.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News NYSERDA, National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, Offshore Wind,
The federal marine hydrokinetic (MHK) energy research lease was offered to Oregon State University for the proposed PacWave South open ocean wave energy test center. The PacWave project will incorporate four test berths to support the testing of up to 20 wave energy converter (WEC) devices, with an installed capacity not to exceed 20 MW.
MHK technology harnesses energy from ocean waves, tides and currents and converts it into electricity. A WEC device converts the kinetic and potential energy associated with moving ocean waves into electrical or mechanical energy, BOEM noted. (Source: BOEM, 24 Feb., 2021) Contact: BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Ocean Energy, Wave Energy,
If approved by the State Corporation Commission, the project would begin construction in 2024 for 2026 completion when it would generate sufficient power for as many as 660,000 homes.
(Source: Dominion Energy, PR, 21 Dec., 2020) Contact: Dominion Energy, Joshua Bennett, VP Offshore Wind, www.DominionEnergy.com;
BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Dominion Energy, Offshore Wind, BOEM,
the BOEM release noted that "because the construction and operations plan has been withdrawn from review, there is no longer a proposal for a major federal action awaiting technical and environmental review, nor is there a decision pending before BOEM."
In a Dec. 14 press release, Vineyard Wind said it expects financial close on the project in the second half of 2021 and the project to come online in 2023.
(Source: BOEM, Vineyard Wind, Website PR, 15 Dec., 2020))Contact: Vineyard Wind, (508) 717-8964, www.vineyardwind.com; BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Vineyard Wind, Offshore Wind, BOEM,
A single 600-MW wind farm in the Gulf would produce an estimated 4,400 jobs and $445 million in economic output during the construction phase, based upon modeling the by U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Operations would contribute 150 new permanent jobs, along with an estimated $14 million in annual spending. By 2035, industry forecasts suggest U.S. offshore wind energy capacity could grow to 22 gigawatts through $70 billion of new capital investment in manufacturing and port infrastructure, as well as 45,000 new direct jobs, according to the Governor's release.
BOEM studies estimate the Gulf of Mexico could produce as much as 10 pct of U.S. wind energy. (Source: Office of Gov. John Bel Edwards, KATC News, 9 Nov., 2020) Contact: Office of Gov. John Bel Edwards
Harry Vorhoff, Dir., Governor's Office of Coastal Activities.
(225) 342-7015, (866)366-1121, gov.louisiana.gov; BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News BOEM, Offshore Wind,
Orsted now foresees clarity on the permitting timelines being pushed to late 2020 or even into 2021.
"Even assuming the permitting process starts moving within the first quarter next year, it appears highly likely that the Revolution Wind, Ocean Wind, Skipjack and Sunrise Wind projects will be delayed beyond the previously expected 2023 and 2024 construction years," the company said. (Source: Orsted, PR, 28 Oct., 2020)
Contact: Orsted, www.orsted.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Orsted, Offshore Wind,
The next significant regulatory step for CVOW is to submit the final documentation for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to complete its technical review, which is expected to be complete by the end of the year. The turbines will remain in operation during this review process. CVOW is the only project currently permitted under the BOEM process and will be the first fully operational wind power generation facility in U.S. federal waters with the capability to generate enough electricity to power up to 3,000 Virginia homes.
Offshore wind generation is a major component of Dominion Energy's comprehensive clean energy strategy to meet standards mandated in the Virginia Clean Economy Act and to achieve the company's net-zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions commitment by 2050.
(Source: Dominion Energy, PR, 15 Oct., 2020)
Contact: Dominion Energy, Joshua Bennett, VP Offshore Wind, www.DominionEnergy.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Offshore Wind, Dominion Energy, Orsted,
The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is currently weighing concerns from commercial fishermen, environmentalists, coastal communities and other stakeholders before deciding where leases on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Maine might be allocated and where they wouldn't be allowed.
The first offshore wind farm is still six to 10 years from operation, according to the New England for Offshore Wind release. (Source: New England for Offshore Wind, PR, reve, 22 Aug., 2020) Contact: New England for Offshore Wind, www.newenglandforoffshorewind.org
More Low-Carbon Energy News Offshore Wind,
The project's foundations, consisting of the turbines' monopiles, transition pieces and anode cages were fabricated by EEW SPC. Installation of the two 6-megawatt Siemens Gamesa turbines 27 miles offshore, is expected to begin later this spring for commissioning and startup by the end of the year. At peak production, the pilot project will power 3,000 homes.
Also this month, Dominion Energy is conducting ocean surveys to map the seabed of the 112,800-acre lease area where the company's 2,600-MW CVOW project will be built beginning in 2024. These surveys will support the development of the project's Construction and Operations Plan to be submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) later this year.
(Source: Dominion Energy InsideNova, 21 April, 2020) Contact: Dominion Energy,
Mark D. Mitchell, VP Generation Construction, www.dominionenergy.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Dominion Energy, Offshore Wind, Siemens Gamesa,
According to BOEM, the $189 million funds will be used to "continue to advance renewable energy" through its leasing programme.
BOEM notes it "will continue to use environmental science as the foundation for sound policy decisions."
(Source: BOEM, Various Media, renews, 11 Feb., 2020)
Contact: BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Energy, Offshore Wind, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Offshore Wind,
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), only 6 pct of the Palmetto State's energy comes from renewable sources, but none of that is wind which is now cheaper than gas, coal, and nuclear energy. The International Energy Agency reports lower costs of offshore wind could totally eliminate the need for using fossil fuels.
BOEM plans to establish wind energy areas off the sc coast this year. More information on offshore wind leasing is HERE.
(Source: BOEM, PR, 26 Oct., 2019) Contact: BOEM, (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov
More Low-Carbon Energy News Bureau of Energy Management, Offshore Wind,
With these approvals, construction is expected to get underway in mid 2020.
Orsted will construct the project which will incorporate SiemensGamesa 6-MW turbines.
(Source: Dominion Energy, BOEM, renews, 15 Oct., 2019)
Contact: Orsted, Thomas Brostrom, US Offshore Wind CEO, Henrik Poulsen, CEO, Daniel Lerup, Inv. Relations, +45 99 55 97 22, www.orsted.com; BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov; Dominion Energy Virginia Keith Windle, VP Business Development and Merchant Operations, www.dominionenergy.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Orsted, Dominion Energy, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Offshore Wind ,
The group that counts Equinor and offshore engineering company Aker Solutions among its members notes that U.S. East Coast states have about 22 GW worth of offshore wind commitments and are projected to see an estimated $70 billion in related supply chain spending by 2030.
The US DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates California's potential for offshore wind at about 112 GW, including about 8.4 GW in three Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) designated study areas. NREL also notes that floating wind platforms are a basic requirement for most of the state's offshore waters, which are too deep to support monopile or multi-leg jackets. (Source: NREL, Maritime Executive, Oct., 2019) Contact: NREL, www.nrel.gov; Aker Solutions, Fredrik Berge, Inv. Relations, +47 22 94 62 19, fredrik.berge@akersolutions.com, www.akersolutions.com; Equinor, Pal Eitrheim, VP New Energy Solutions, www.equinor.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind, BOEM, NREL, Equinor, Aker Solutions, Offshore Wind,
According to the report, the utility-scale Land-Based Wind Sector had another strong year with 7,588 MW installed during 2018, accompanied by record low costs and prices. The U.S. distributed wind sector now stands at 1,127 MW from over 83,000 wind turbines across all 50 states. And the U.S. offshore wind industry has a pipeline of 25,824 MW in various stages of development. The report found:
The 2018 Distributed Wind Market report highlights include:
The 2018 Offshore Wind Technologies Market Report found:
Vineyard Wind urged the federal government to complete the project's review as quickly as possible and says the 84-turbine, 800-MW wind farm is key to a 2016 Massachusetts renewable energy law and remains viable.
(Source: Vineyard Wind, BOEM, Boston.com, 9 Aug., 2019) Contact: BOEM, Connie Gillette, Public Affairs, Walter Cruickshank, Acting Dir., (202) 208-6474, www.boem.gov;
Vineyard Wind, (508) 717-8964,www.vineyardwind.com
More Low-Carbon Energy News BOEM, Offshore Wind, Vineyard Wind,