Category: Off_Shore_Wind_MN

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced Monday it will open public comment on a draft environmental analysis for the proposed Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island.

Dominion Energy Inc. is asking Virginia utility regulators to remove strict consumer protections placed on the company’s proposed offshore wind farm, warning that it will end the multibillion-dollar project if the commission doesn’t change its mind.

With passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which contains US$370 billion for climate and energy programs, policy experts are forecasting a big expansion in clean electricity generation. One source that’s poised for growth is offshore wind power.
Today the U.S. has just two operating offshore wind farms, off of Rhode Island and North Carolina, with a combined generating capacity of 42 megawatts. For comparison, the new Traverse Wind Energy Center in Oklahoma has 356 turbines and a 998-megawatt generating capacity. But many more projects are in development, mostly along the Atlantic coast.

California energy regulators yesterday approved an aggressive offshore wind goal that sets the stage for a proliferation of turbines along the state’s made-for-movies coastline.
The California Energy Commission unanimously adopted a report setting offshore wind planning targets of 3,000 to 5,000 megawatts over seven years and 25,000 MW by 2045. The larger number would generate enough electricity to power 25 million homes.

California set an ambitious target to develop offshore wind, a key part of the state’s plan to get all its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045.

Avangrid announced Wednesday that it has finalized an agreement to manage and operate the 800-MW Vineyard Wind 1 project when it begins operations in 2023. Co-owned with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the project off the coast of Massachusetts will be the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States.

“New York is proud to continue leading the way in offshore wind development while establishing a blueprint for building a locally-based green economy,” Hochul said. “Today we are putting words into action and making it clear that New York State is the national hub of the offshore wind industry. The clean energy transition is driving significant private investment and family-sustaining jobs in communities across the state, and we are setting ourselves up for success with a brighter and more sustainable future.”

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority released its third competitive offshore wind solicitation on Wednesday for a minimum of 2 GW of clean energy, Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, announced.
The solicitation includes a $500 million investment in offshore wind ports, manufacturing and infrastructure, which Hochul announced in her State of State address this year. Industry experts see the

Haaland’s appearance before the Senate Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee was ostensibly to defend the department’s budget request, but she was repeatedly pressed by lawmakers on a host of issues, including the future of the administration’s five-year plan for offshore drilling.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced plans Wednesday to conduct a regional environmental review of six areas leased for offshore wind development in the New York Bight in February. The leases were issued in what has been the agency’s largest offshore wind auction to date.