Vineyard Wind, BOEM
Date: 2021-05-14
Vineyard Wind reports receipt of the U.S. DOI Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) Record of Decision (ROD) -- the federal review process for the 800-MW, 160,000-acre offshore wind project 15 miles off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.

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,  

Revolution Wind, BOEM
Date: 2021-05-03
Orsted and Eversource-owned Revolution Wind's planned offshore wind farm 12 miles southwest of the Martha's Vineyard, is headed into its BOEM environmental impact statement (EIS) phase.

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,  

National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium
Date: 2021-03-31
The National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium, which was established with funding from U.S. DOE, has selected 15 new projects to receive a total of $8 million for offshore wind support structure innovation, U.S.-based supply chain development, electrical systems innovation, and solutions for impacts on wildlife and radar.

The selections announced today include:

Four projects to develop innovative support structures (including foundations and moorings) for very large fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind turbines to achieve economies of scale;

Three projects that propose innovative solutions to supply chain and installation challenges including spiral welded towers, a self-positioning blade installation tool, and unmanned aerial devices for inspections;

Five projects to support innovations in grid interconnection and transmission;

Three technology development projects to mitigate use conflicts, including wildlife monitoring and radar interference. The 15 new projects bring the Consortium’s total funding portfolio to $28 million for 40 projects. This announcement supports a goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of U.S. offshore wind by 2030.

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,  

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Date: 2021-02-26
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) reports it has issued a lease for the first wave energy research project to demonstrate the viability of wave energy in federal waters off the U.S. West Coast.

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,  

Dominion Energy, BOEM
Date: 2020-12-23
Richmond-headquartered Dominion Energy reports it has filed the construction and operations plan (COP) for the 2,640-MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial project 27 mi off the coast of Virginia Beach with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

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,  

Vineyard Wind, BOEM
Date: 2020-12-18
In Washington, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) reports Vineyard Wind has withdrawn from the BOEM review process for its Vineyards Wind 1 offshore wind project. The company noted it needed to further evaluate the General Electric turbines it plans to use for the offshore wind project.

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,  

BOEM
Date: 2020-11-11
In Baton Rouge, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) is calling for the US DOI Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to establish a task force that will coordinate commercial leasing proposals for wind energy in federal waters off Louisiana's coast thus creating a business path for the development of wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico.

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
Date: 2020-10-28
Danish renewable energy developer Orsted reports it is waiting for permitting "clarity" from the US DOI Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) environmental impact study of offshore wind projects on the Outer Continental Shelf.

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,  

Dominion Energy,Orsted
Date: 2020-10-16
In the Old Dominion State, Richmond-based Dominion Energy is reporting the two-turbine, 12-MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach has completed reliability testing and is ready to enter commercial service. Installation of the two pilot turbines was completed in June. Orsted served as the offshore engineering, procurement and construction lead for the pilot project.

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,  

Offshore Wind
Date: 2020-08-24
New England for Offshore Wind, a regional coalition that supports the development of offshore wind power, reports it expects to announce its official launch this week. According to the group, which includes environmental advocacy organizations, educational institutions, justice and health organizations, and business alliances, offshore wind power is necessary to address growing energy demands as more power plants go off line in the coming years.

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,  

Dominion Energy
Date: 2020-04-22
In the Old Dominion State, Richmond-headquartered Dominion Energy is reporting turbine components and monopiles for its pilot Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project are en-route to North America.

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,  

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Date: 2020-02-14
In its proposed 2012 budget, the Trump Administration is proposing $189 million for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), with $26.5 million earmarked for "advance offshore renewable energy development" compared with $21.3 in FY 2020.

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,  

Vineyard Wind
Date: 2020-02-14
Following up on our 12th August, 2019 report, offshore wind developer Vineyard Wind is reporting U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) environmental impact study for its planned 84-turbine offshore wind farm off of Martha's Vineyard has been delayed and the project's originally anticipated completion date will accordingly be delayed. (Source: Vineyard Wind, CapeCod.com, 13 Feb., 2020) 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 Vineyard Wind,  Offshore Wind,  

Bureau of Energy Management
Date: 2019-10-28
The Bureau of Energy Management (BOEM) reports it is in the planning stage to lease wind energy areas along the South Carolina coast to develop offshore wind energy.

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,  

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Date: 2019-10-16
In the Old Dominion State, Richmond-based Dominion Energy is reporting Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the design, fabrication and installation of its previously reported 2,600-MW offshore wind project in US federal waters 27 miles off the Virginian coast.

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 ,  

Equinor,Aker Solutions,NREL
Date: 2019-10-07
A new Offshore Wind California coalition of renewable energy companies is calling for the Golden State to commit to a goal of at least 10 GW of primarily floating offshore wind power in California waters by 2040.

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,  

US DOE
Date: 2019-08-26
The U.S. DOE has released annual market reports documenting data and trends in wind installations, technologies, costs, prices, and performance through the end of 2018 for three sectors: utility-scale land-based, offshore, and distributed 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 U.S. wind industry installed 7,588 MW of capacity last year, bringing total utility-scale wind capacity to over 96 gigawatts (GW).

Wind industry employment is at an all-time high, supporting 114,000 jobs

In total, 41 states operated utility-scale wind projects -- Texas leads the nation with nearly 25 GW of wind capacity, while California, Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma have more than 5 GW.

Wind energy provides 6.5 pct of the nation's electricity, more than 10 pct of total generation in 14 states, and more than 30 pct in Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

The trend of installing wind turbines that are larger and more powerful continued in 2018 and the price of wind energy being sold in long-term contracts is at an all-time low.

The 2018 Distributed Wind Market report highlights include:

Distributed wind power is used at or near where it is generated, as opposed to wind power from wholesale generation, where power is sent to consumers via transmission lines and substations.

Employed by households, schools, farms, industrial facilities, and municipalities, distributed wind doesn't only refer to small-scale turbines; it includes any size turbine or array of turbines that generates power for local or on-site use.

U.S. wind turbines in distributed applications reached a cumulative installed capacity of 1,127 MW in 2018. This capacity comes from over 83,000 turbines installed across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.

The trend of using larger wind turbines in distributed applications continued in 2018. The average capacity of large-scale turbines installed in distributed applications in 2018 was 2.1 MW -- almost double the capacity of turbines used in 2003.

Commercial and industrial distributed wind projects increased in 2018, representing 29 pct of total project capacity. Distributed wind for utility customers remained the most prevalent use, representing 47 pct of capacity in 2018.

Of small wind turbines (100 kilowatts or less) deployed in the U.S., turbines of less than 1 kW are contributing an increasingly larger percentage of both the total number of turbines (99 pct) and capacity (47 pct) of small wind projects.

The 2018 Offshore Wind Technologies Market Report found:

The U.S. offshore wind project development pipeline grew to a potential generating capacity of 25,824 MW across 13 states, including the Block Island Wind Farm commissioned in 2016.

Projects totaling 21,225 MW have exclusive site control -- a lease or other contract to develop the site. Most of these projects are on the Eastern seaboard, with one in the Great Lakes.

California and Hawaii have several early-stage floating offshore wind projects in the planning phase.

The DOI Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) auctions for three lease areas off the coast of Massachusetts brought in winning bids of $135 million indicating strong interest and confidence in the U.S. offshore wind market.

Offtake prices for the first commercial-scale U.S. offshore wind project -- Vineyard Wind off the coast of Massachusetts -- came in lower than expected at $65–$75 per MWh.

Technology trends toward larger turbines continued, with offshore turbines installed globally in 2018 averaging 5.5 MW, and turbines with capacities of 10- 12 MW coming to market in the next couple years. (Source: DOE Wind Energy Technologies Office., 23 Aug., 2019) Contact: DOE Wind Energy Technologies Office, www.energy.gov/eere/wind/wind-energy-technologies-office

More Low-Carbon Energy News Wind,  

Vineyard Wind,
Date: 2019-08-12
In the Bay State, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is reportedly stalling the release of a key environmental impact statement on Vineyard Wind's proposed wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. The federal agency said the delay is in response to comments "from stakeholders and cooperating agencies" requesting a more robust cumulative analysis that would include projects that have been awarded power purchase agreements, but may not have submitted construction and operations plans. To that end, BOEM has decided to supplement the Draft EIS and solicit comments on its revised cumulative impacts analysis," according to an agency statement.

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,  

Eni
Date: 2019-03-29
Rome-headquartered, state-owned Italian oil and gas major Eni New Energy SpA reports the installation of a unit that can produce energy from sea waves in a pilot program that could be spread to offshore oil platforms being phased out.

The pilot plant, which was installed about 90 miles south of Venice along the Adriatic Sea, has a "peak power output of 51 kW" and has been integrated into "the world's only hybrid smart grid wave energy system featuring photovoltaics and energy storage," according to a company statement.

According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM} the U.S. wave energy resource potential along the outer continental shelf stands at 2,640 TWh per year, of which 1,170 TWh/yr are recoverable -- 1 TWh/yr of energy will supply around 93,850 average U.S. homes with power annually. (Source: Eni New Energy SpA, World News, 28 Mar., 2019)Contact: Eni New Energy SpA, +39 06 598 21, +39 06 598 22141 - fax, www.eni.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Eni,  Wave Energy,  

Date: 2018-12-17
In Washington, the US Department of Interior (DoI) is reporting its recent offshore wind lease auction of about 390,000 acres off the coast of Massachusetts has drawn a record $405 million in winning bids from Equinor Wind, Vineyard Wind and Mayflower Wind.

If fully developed, the three parcels near Martha's Vineyard and Block Island could generate about 4.1 gigawatts of energy -- sufficient power for as many as 1.5 million homes.

There are currently 15 active wind leases in federal waters that have generated more than $473 million in winning bids for nearly two million acres in federal waters, according to BOEM. (Source: US DoI,Workboat,Various Media, 14 Dec., 2018) Contact: Equinor Wind,(508) 717-8964, Vineyard Wind, www.equinor.com;www.vineyardwind.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Offshore Wind,  Equinor Wind,  ,  Mayflower Wind Energy ,  Vineyard Wind,