Cuomo News

If awards were given for dominating the sustainable energy spotlight, offshore wind (OSW) would surely be in line for top honors.Consider:Big money: BOEM’s February sale of New York Bight offshore wind development rights drew a record $4.37 billion in developers’ bids. Not only is that real money, but just as critically, “This week’s offshore wind sale makes one thing clear: The enthusiasm for the clean energy economy is undeniable and it’s here to stay,” exclaimed Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.Off Broadway: In January…

New York Cruise Lines' Circle Line is relaunching its annual Bear Mountain Cruises on the Hudson River.The eight-hour round-trip excursions take passengers from New York City to Bear Mountain and back, launching Saturdays and Sundays from September 18 through October 31, plus Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, October 11.The 50-mile cruise up the Hudson includes sights of Hook Mountain, the Hudson River Palisades, the George Washington Bridge, and the Mario Cuomo Bridge…

Offshore wind developersØrsted and Eversource have agreed to charter Dominion Energy's Charybdis, the first Jones Act-compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel in the United States, for the construction of two offshore wind farms in the Northeast.Charybdis is being built in Texas by Keppel AmFels and will first be deployed out of New London harbor to support the construction of Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind offshore wind farms, both of which are being developed jointly by Ørsted and Eversource.

The head of an American mariner union says state leaders in New York and New Jersey should recognize the essential role of U.S. seafarers by prioritizing them for COVID-19 vaccination.The Washington Post, in a recent front page Sunday Business story headlined Essential, Invisible, described how “states have been hit-or-miss on vaccines” for merchant mariners and that for most of the people who go to sea, the process can be described as  “you’re on your own.” New York and New Jersey are two of the states where seafarers have not been prioritized…

Norwegian energy company Equinor said it has been selected to provide New York State with offshore wind power in one of the United States' largest renewable energy procurements to date.Under the award, Equinor and partner BP will provide 1,260 megawatts (MW) of renewable offshore wind power from Empire Wind 2, and another 1,230 MW of power from Beacon Wind 1, each calling for more than 90 turbines off the coast of Long Island—adding to the existing commitment to provide New York…

A pair of first-of-their-kind passenger vessels installed with all-electric propulsion will bring Niagara Falls sightseers to experience one of the wonders of the natural world undisturbed by exhaust fumes, engine noise or vibrations.The zero-emissions ferries, named the James V. Glynn and the Nikola Tesla, respectively in honor of the Maid of the Mist chairman and the renowned energy pioneer – are the first all-electric vessels built in the U.S., with power drawn from a high-capacity battery pack supplied and integrated by ABB.

A new icebreaking tugboat built by Blount Boats in Rhode Island has been delivered to the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to work in the Niagara River to help alleviate shoreline flooding and reduce the likelihood of ice limiting the power production at large hydro plants along the Niagara River. The Breaker II joins a fleet of three boats that work every winter to install the Lake Erie—Niagara River Ice Boom—a series of 22 spans of steel pontoons that straddle the mouth of the…

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday announced offshore wind solicitation aimed at developing up to 2,500 Megawatts of renewable energy and complementary multi-port infrastructure investment.The solicitation includes a multi-port strategy and requirement for offshore wind generators to partner with any of the 11 prequalified New York ports to stage, construct, manufacture key components, or coordinate operations and maintenance activities."New York's second offshore wind solicitation seeks up to 2…

The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will soon return to Norfolk, Va., President Trump said Tuesday, less than a month after the ship was deployed to New York to support COVID-19 response efforts."I’ve asked [New York Governer] Andrew [Cuomo] if we could bring the Comfort back to its base in Virginia so that we can have it for other locations, and he said we would be able to do that," Trump said in a coronavirus task force press briefing. "Javits Center has been a great help to them, but we’ll be bringing the ship back at the earliest time.

Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday.The Port Authority, which oversees both states' seaports as well as airports and other major travel hubs, said in a statement that Cotton is currently asymptomatic and has self-quarantined at his home while maintaining a full work schedule.Staff members who have had close contact with Cotton in recent…

As a new decade starts, offshore wind development continues to progress. Actually, it’s probably more accurate to write that the development of the development of offshore wind (OFW) continues to, uh, well, develop.Apologies for that mild sarcasm. But even a quick look-back at OFW always raises the same familiar question: is the glass half empty or half full?Consider developments in the east coast leader in offshore wind: New York.In a webinar in December New York’s NYSERDA –…

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced plans to create Offshore Wind Training Institute to offer offshore wind training programs.The institute will provide benefits to workers across New York State through new job training programs, tailored college curriculum, and enhanced academic research opportunities.Atlantic Offshore Terminals (AOT), New York-based developer of offshore wind port and supply chain facilities, has applauded Gov's initiative."The creation of the Offshore Wind Training Institute is a critical step in developing the next generation of workers here in New York, who will serve as the backbone for the State’s offshore wind industry and clean energy future for decades to come…

“A new industry is being established in New York, with the primary stimulus being a state-driven procurement process.”New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), July 12, 2018.To a great extent, this PSC comment provides direct insight into the dynamics behind New York’s pace-setting moves to establish offshore wind. First, this new energy development is deliberate – not left to chance or laissez faire markets. Second, state officials are in control, from choosing a contractor to securing money for payment.

Newly re-elected Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued a comprehensive solicitation seeking 800 megawatts or more of new offshore wind projects for New York.According to a press release issued by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) he state's first offshore wind procurement is moving rapidly. Bids due to land in February 2019. Awards for projects will be made in spring 2019 in time to "take advantage of expiring federal tax credits".This highly anticipated first offering kicks-off competition for New York State's first large-scale offshore wind development contracts, an initial step toward its goal of 2,400 megawatts…

More than 400 SUNY Maritime College students and others this summer will spend three days assisting ongoing hurricane recovery efforts in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the college’s annual summer sea term onboard Training Ship Empire State VI. The ship will leave the college campus, bound for San Juan, on May 7.The voyage to Puerto Rico is the first stop on the college’s annual summer sea term, which gives students the hands-on education and training they need to sail onboard commercial vessels after graduation.

The Grande New York, part of the new fleet of the Grimaldi Group, was christened in the Port of NY-NJ at Port Newark Auto Marine Terminal (FAPS). Godmother was Amanda Matilda Cuomo Cole, granddaughter of former late NY Governor, Mario Cuomo and niece of current NY Governor Andrew Cuomo. Father Peter Haldás of St. John Paul II blessed the ship during a short ceremony to a distinguished delegation composed of maritime authorities, customers, port operators and managers of Grimaldi Group and daughter company Atlantic Container Line. Costantino Baldissara, Commercial, Logistics & Operations Director of Grimaldi Group, gave special thanks to Italian Consul General, Francesco Genuardi, the NY-NJ Port Authority Deputy Director, Andy Saporito and FAPS President, August LoBue.

Governors and other officials from several U.S. coastal states ramped up pressure on the Trump administration on Wednesday to exempt their waters from an offshore drilling plan, hours after the Interior Department granted Florida's request to opt out. The backlash could complicate President Donald Trump's efforts to expand oil and gas production offshore. A proposed leasing plan unveiled last week aims to open up all U.S. coasts to drillers over the next five years. Alaska and Maine are the only two U.S. states whose governors have expressed support for the plan.

SUNY Maritime College’s Training Ship Empire State VI will soon sail to Puerto Rico to aid in the recovery efforts and to deliver basic necessities to the island’s residents. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) activated the vessel for a pre-scripted Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mission to support relief efforts. Once moored on site, the self-contained vessel will support recovery efforts by providing housing, power, food and water to first responders.

NY Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has vetoed the Port Ambrose Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port, citing security and economic concerns along with the potential to negatively impact off-shore wind development. The project, which had been proposed by Liberty Natural Gas, LLC, required approval from both Governor Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Christie under the federal Deepwater Port Act. Governor Cuomo detailed his full position in a letter sent today to the U.S. Maritime Administration. “My administration carefully reviewed this project from all angles, and we have determined that the security and economic risks far outweigh any potential benefits,” said Governor Cuomo.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Delta Air Lines are set to overhaul New York’s notoriously outdated and publically criticized LaGuardia Airport, replacing four separate terminals with a single, connected one that will include a ferry terminal. The first phase of the $4 billion construction project, announced Monday by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, is scheduled to break ground in early 2016 pending Port Authority’s approval.

The State University of New York Maritime College is officially open for business, after receiving formal designation as a tax-free area under Governor Andrew Cuomo’s START-UP NY program. In a March 2 letter to Maritime College President Michael A. SUNY Maritime College has designated 1,700 square feet of vacant space on its campus in Fort Schuyler. The college will target businesses in the formative stage of development or engage in the design, development and introduction of high-technology products…

The governors of New York and New Jersey vetoed sweeping legislation passed by lawmakers in both states intended to reform the embattled bi-state Port Authority, according to a joint statement released on Saturday. The legislative reforms to the transportation agency were passed as federal prosecutors investigate "Bridgegate," in which traffic lanes approaching the George Washington Bridge across the Hudson River were shut for several days in September 2013 in what many suspect was a politically motivated move by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's administration. Christie, chairman of the Republican Governor's Association and a potential presidential candidate…

There’s no debate about LNG in New York. ELCO, New York State Canals team up to retrofit 86-year old tugboat with an electric motor. In June, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the launch of an all-electric dredge tender work boat on the Erie Canal in the Utica area of New York. The project, a partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), utilized an electric motor supplied and installed by Elco Motor Yachts, LLC, of Athens, New York. Significantly, the New York State Canal Corporation collaborated with Yorkville-based New West Technologies, LLC, in order to determine how best to transition the State’s work boat fleet to a cleaner propulsion system.