Public Utilities News

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. based maritime and industrial mechanical service repair specialist Advanced Mechanical Enterprises (AME) announced it has appointed Paul Savage as its new Operations Manager.With over 30 years of leadership and project management experience, Savage joins the AME management team from Veolia North America, where he served as Vice President, managing complex industrial and government contracts. At Veolia, Savage was at the helm of commercial, state, and federal contracts…

New Jersey's utility regulator on Wednesday approved two offshore wind power projects with a combined capacity of 3,742-megawatts (MW) whose backers include Invenergy and TotalEnergies.The offshore wind industry is expected to play a major role in helping several states and U.S. President Joe Biden meet goals to decarbonize the power grid and combat climate change.But progress was slow last year after offshore developers canceled contracts to sell power in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey…

Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island extended on Thursday the date bids are due in the states' next offshore wind solicitations from Jan. 31 to March 27.Offshore wind is expected to play a critical role in U.S. President Joe Biden's and several states' plans to decarbonize the power grid and combat climate change.But offshore wind industry had a tough time in 2023 with some developers cancelling contracts to sell power in several states because their proposed projects were no longer economic due to soaring inflation…

President Joe Biden’s goal to deploy 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind along U.S. coastlines this decade to fight climate change may be unattainable due to soaring costs and supply chain delays, according to forecasters and industry insiders.The 2030 target, unveiled shortly after Biden took office, is central to Biden's broader plan to decarbonize the U.S. economy by 2050. It is also crucial to targets of Northeast states hoping wind will help them move away from fossil fuel…

Much has been written recently about the challenges facing U.S. offshore wind projects, resulting in requests to terminate or renegotiate contracts to sell power to states. Examples of these challenges can be found from Massachusetts to Virginia. Coming on top of last week’s somewhat disappointing events of the Gulf of Mexico lease auction, speculation has mounted around the longer-term prospects for U.S. wind. But how serious is this problem, and what does it mean to the longer-term goals of the federal administration to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind by 203 and 110 GW by 2050?Below…

German company HGK Shipping on Thursday held a naming ceremony for two chemical tankers “Courage” and “Curiosity” on 4 May 2023.The chemical tankers have already been in service for the materials manufacturer, Covestro, on the river Rhine and its tributaries for several weeks. The hulls of the shallow-water vessels are 93 metres long and 10.5 meters wide. The two sister vessels are able to carry a load weighing 160 tonnes in a draught of just 1.00 meter and still be fully operational and maneuverable…

HGK Shipping and the Port of Rotterdam signed a long-term cooperation agreement to promote sustainable concepts for inland waterway services leading to and from seaports. The document primarily focuses on the energy revolution and logistics for hydrogen as well as reducing CO2 emissions by using innovative drive concepts and digitalization. These topics are crucially important to ensure reliable and sustainable supplies for industry. The agreement therefore ensures that stable…

Commonwealth Wind said late Monday it will move forward with a submitted but not yet approved power purchase agreement with Massachusetts electric companies and its 1,232-megawatt offshore wind project.Commonwealth made its announcement after the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) denied, in early November, Commonwealth's motion to suspend its agreement. That motion raised questions about the future of Commonwealth's offshore wind project.Commonwealth is a unit of Avangrid Inc.…

U.S. offshore wind developer Mayflower Wind announced Francis Slingsby has assumed the role of chief executive officer, succeeding Michael Brown who will join the company's board of directors.“I am delighted to join Mayflower Wind as we continue to accelerate the transformation to a cleaner energy future,” said Slingsby, who brings over a decade of experience in commercial and business development in the U.S. offshore wind energy sector. “Mayflower Wind has successfully built a leadership position in the offshore wind market…

Massachusetts utility regulators denied offshore wind power company Commonwealth Wind's motion to suspend its power purchase agreement with state electric utilities, raising questions about the future of Commonwealth's proposed offshore wind project.The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) said in an order on Friday that Commonwealth "is a sophisticated market participant well capable of factoring economic contingencies into its contract prices ... and exercising its options under the existing (power purchase agreements)."Commonwealth is a unit of U.S.

Offshore wind developer Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind -  a U.S. joint venture between Shell and EDF, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with six unions operating in New Jersey as part of its bid submission, "committing to help develop and employ a productive, safe, well-trained local workforce."The company in December 2020 submitted its bid to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to supply the state with up to 2,300 MW of renewable wind energy. New Jersey seeks to award between 1…

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, the 50-50 joint venture between EDF Renewables North America and Shell New Energies US, has submitted its proposal to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to supply the state with up to 2,300 MW of renewable wind energy.New Jersey seeks to award between 1,200 MW and 2,400 MW of offshore wind energy projects as part of its second solicitation. Atlantic Shores estimates their first project would be completed as early as 2027 and if awarded, the…

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has unveiled the offshore wind solicitation schedule to meet the state’s 7,500 MW offshore wind goal by 2035 and called upon the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to take all necessary actions to implement the schedule.The proposed schedule calls for the next 1,200 MW solicitation to be opened by September 2020, with an award made by second quarter of 2021.Setting a solicitation schedule through 2035 provides a crucial level of certainty for developers, original equipment manufacturers, and the supply chain.“Several months ago, I committed the State of New Jersey to 7,500 MW of offshore wind by 2035…

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, a 50/50 partnership between Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF Renewables North America, announced the launch of ocean survey operations today within the Atlantic Shores lease area, in order to inform future turbine development.Survey operations encompass 183,000 acres located 8-20 miles off the New Jersey coast between Barnegat Light and Sea Isle City and are expected to conclude by the end of October, weather permitting.The survey vessel Geosea will be utilized to characterize the seabed, collect samples and determine placement of data collection buoys, which will be deployed later this year to help measure wind…

New Jersey's Governor Phil Murphy has signed an executive order to establish a Council for the Wind Innovation and New Development (WIND) Institute.The institute will develop and implement a plan to create a regional hub for New Jersey’s offshore wind industry and will build upon the Murphy Administration’s commitment to making the state a national leader in offshore wind.“From job creation to workforce development to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, the WIND Institute and the council tasked with its development make good on our commitment to building a New Jersey economy fit for the 21st century,” said Governor Murphy.“Centralizing…

Denmark’s Ørsted won New Jersey’s first offshore wind solicitation with a 1.1-gigawatt project Ocean Wind, the largest offshore wind project to secure a development deal with a U.S. state to date.The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) announced in a press note that it has selected Ocean Wind, an offshore wind energy project proposed by Ørsted with support from Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), to negotiate a 20-year offshore wind renewable energy credit (OREC) for an offshore wind farm with a capacity of 1,100MW.Located off the coast of Atlantic City, Ocean Wind will be New Jersey’s first large-scale offshore wind farm.

Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind and Eversource pledged $4.5 million Monday to talent and workforce development in Rhode Island based on the Revolution Wind project.Governor Gina M. Raimondo said: "Ørsted and Eversource's commitments, as part of their Revolution Wind offshore wind farm, will expand our efforts already underway to build our talent pool and provide opportunities for college students in Rhode Island to study for a career in offshore wind. When they are ready to work, we will have plenty of jobs for them in our growing offshore wind supply chain, right here in Rhode Island."Ørsted and Eversource have committed to invest $4.5 million locally…

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has approved long-term contracts for 800MW of offshore wind between Vineyard Wind and the Commonwealth’s electric distribution companies.The DPU green signal is a crucial approval needed for the offshore wind farm developer to start construction by the end of the year.“The approval of these contracts is an important step toward the completion of the largest offshore wind project in the country, which will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, provide Massachusetts residents and businesses with cost-effective clean energy and promote economic development,” said Governor Charlie…

Danish energy company Ørsted submitted a bid to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) to build an offshore wind farm in response to the first offshore wind request for proposal under Gov. Phil Murphy’s clean energy agenda.Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind energy, has pioneered and refined the approach to developing and constructing offshore wind farms since it launched the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991.Ørsted owns and operates the Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm, and has a comprehensive geographic coverage with the largest development capacity, totaling more than 8 gigawatts in seven states.

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) is remaining committed to supporting the state’s goals of generating 3.5GW of offshore wind by 2030 and reaching 100% of renewable energy by 2050.The Offshore Wind Supply Chain Networking Event at Princeton University’s Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment provided information about the state’s plans for offshore wind, supply chain opportunities, available incentives, and workforce development programs.The event was co-sponsored by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Department of Environmental Protection, and Department of Labor and Workforce Development, as well as several offshore wind related businesses.

EDF Renewables North America has selected MHI Vestas Offshore Wind as the preferred supplier for the Nautilus Offshore Wind project off the coast of Atlantic City, New Jersey.The pioneering offshore wind project, the first in New Jersey, has plans to feature three V164-8.3 MW turbines from MHI Vestas, taking the company’s V164 platform to the US offshore wind market for the first time.Nautilus Offshore Wind’s installation timetable is ahead of other US projects with plans to be operational as soon as 2020.“We’re proud to be named as preferred supplier for the Nautilus Offshore Wind project and look forward to bringing our flagship V164 turbine to the US market with EDF Renewables,” said MHI Vestas CEO, Philippe Kavafyan.

Refiners from the Midwest United States are fighting for access to a vital Pennsylvania pipeline – a move that could cripple their East Coast competitors and redraw the map for international flows of crude and fuel into coveted coastal markets. The regulatory dispute centers on a proposal by pipeline operator Buckeye Partners’ to that state's Public Utilities Commission. The plan would reverse the flow of fuels on a section of Buckeye’s 350-mile Laurel Pipeline, which currently flows from the East Coast to Pittsburgh. Because pipelines only flow in one direction, the change would effectively block five East Coast refineries from serving Pittsburgh – with Midwest refiners picking up their market share.

Inmarsat (ISAT.L) has made available five Fleet One units to a pilot initiative that aims to bring change to the way ships connecting island communities in the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu communicate. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) endorsed capacity-building pilot program is the result of cooperation between the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) and the Government of Vanuatu under the leadership of the Ambassador of Vanuatu to the IMO. Waterborne…