Wind Energy Projects News
US Judge Blocks Trump's Efforts to Hinder Renewable Energy Projects
A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump's administration from enforcing a series of permitting policies that wind and solar energy industry groups say have stymied the development of new energy generation projects.Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper in Boston issued a preliminary injunction sought by nine advocacy groups and industry trade associations that argued the administration had imposed unlawful roadblocks that have halted the development of wind and solar energy projects nationwide.The judge said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in showing the U.S.
Revolution Wind Now Delivering Power to New England
Revolution Wind, a 50/50 joint venture between Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables and Ørsted, started delivering power to New England's electric grid on March 14.Revolution Wind, a 704MW offshore wind energy project, is expected to supply enough electricity to power more than 350,000 homes and businesses. The project will deliver power under fixed-price, 20-year agreements with energy utilities in Rhode Island and Connecticut.At a time of rising electricity demand…
US Judge Overturns Trump’s Freeze on Wind Energy Permits
A federal judge on Monday struck down an order by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to halt all federal approvals for new wind energy projects, saying that agencies' efforts to implement his directive were unlawful and arbitrary.Agencies including the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce and the Environmental Protection Agency have been implementing a directive to halt all new approvals needed for both onshore and offshore wind projects pending a review of leasing and permitting practices.Siding with a group of 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia, U.S.
Shell Exec Says Trump Halting Wind Projects is Harmful
The decision by President Donald Trump administration to halt fully permitted offshore wind energy projects is "very damaging" to investment, President of Shell U.S. Colette Hirstius told the Financial Times in a report published on Sunday.The executive told the newspaper that energy projects with proper permits should be allowed to continue and warned the political pendulum in the U.S. could eventually swing back against the oil and gas sector."I think uncertainty in the regulatory environment is very damaging.
ASRY, AtkinsRéalis Sign MoU on Offshore Wind Energy Projects
The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY) has signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AtkinsRéalis, an engineering services company with capabilities in the net zero energy sector. The signing took place earlier this April, attended by senior figures from both companies. Dr Ahmed Al Abri, ASRY’s Chief Executive Officer, signed on the company’s behalf alongside David Haboubi, Head of Middle East Nuclear and Net Zero Energy, AtkinsRéalis.This partnership is expected to strengthen ASRY’s position in the energy field by drawing it into the renewable power sector…
Wood Mackenzie Slashes Five-Year US Wind Energy Outlook
A prominent energy research firm slashed its five-year outlook for new U.S. wind energy projects by 40% on Tuesday, citing Trump administration policies and concerns about the economy.Wood Mackenzie expects the United States to install 45.1GW of wind, both onshore and offshore, through 2029. It had originally forecast installations of 75.8GW over that period, the firm said in a statement.U.S. power consumption is expected to rise to record highs in 2025 and 2026, jumping nearly 3% this year from 2024's all-time high…
Lithuanian Port Goes Forward with Quay Reconstruction for Offshore Wind
Klaipėda Port Authority in Lithuania has signed an agreement for the infrastructure buildout for the offshore wind energy projects, starting with the reconstruction of quays on Smeltė peninsula, which will ensure assembly, handling and transportation of offshore wind turbines.The successful tenderer UAB Tilsta has been tasked with reconstructing the quays at the former International Ferry Port under the $37.9 million contract.As the reconstructed quays will be used for assembly…
BOEM Finalizes Offshore Wind Fisheries Mitigation Guidance
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has finalized guidance aimed at mitigating the impacts of offshore wind energy projects on commercial and for-hire recreational fisheries.It provides a national framework for addressing social and economic impacts on the fishing industry and establishes clear processes for the offshore wind industry to address potential disruptions to fisheries. It ensures consistency and promotes fair treatment of fishermen, regardless of their home or landing port.The guidance emphasizes early engagement and transparency with fishing communities…
BOEM Okays New England Offshore Wind Project
The Interior Department has now approved more than 19 gigawatts of offshore wind energy.The Biden-Harris administration today announced the approval of the SouthCoast Wind Project – the nation’s 11th commercial-scale offshore wind energy project approved under President Biden’s leadership. With today’s approval, the Department and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management have approved over 19 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy from offshore wind energy projects – enough to power more than 6 million homes.The SouthCoast Wind Project is expected to generate up to 2.4 GW of offshore wind energy for Massachusetts and Rhode Island, enough to power more than 840,000 homes.
DOI Approves Ninth US Offshore Wind Project
The US Department of the Interior has approved the Atlantic Shores South offshore wind energy project – the nation’s ninth commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project approved under President Biden’s leadership.The Atlantic Shores South wind project consists of two wind energy facilities — Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Project 1 and 2 — and associated export cables, which are expected to generate up to 2,800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power close to one million homes with clean renewable energy.The project is approximately 8.7 miles offshore New Jersey at its closest point.
BOEM Advances Offshore Wind in Central Atlantic
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced the availability of its final Environmental Assessment (EA), which considers possible impacts from issuing leases for potential offshore wind development off the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia coasts, including site assessment and site characterization activities such as geophysical, geological, and archaeological surveys.The EA concluded that there would be no significant impacts from lease issuance.Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration…
BOEM Finalizes Environmental Review of Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Research Lease
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released its Final Environmental Assessment (Final EA) of an offshore wind research lease in the Gulf of Maine. In October 2021, the state of Maine requested a research lease for the purpose of researching floating offshore wind energy technology and its deployment. The research site lies 28 nautical miles off the coast of Maine, roughly southeast of Portland, and if developed would comprise up to 12 floating offshore wind turbines capable of generating up to 144 megawatts of renewable energy.
Maryland Sets Course for Offshore Wind Energy Expansion
Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed a bill aimed at reevaluating and potentially revising existing offshore wind project plans, setting the stage for the state's goal of achieving 8,500 megawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2031.The bill signed on May 9 will empower the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to open proceedings to evaluate offshore wind projects, including offshore wind renewable energy credit (OREC) pricing.The bill, which facilitates the increase of the maximum amount of ORECs sold under certain conditions…
U.S. Installed Offshore Wind Capacity Jumps in First Quarter
Installed offshore wind capacity in the U.S. grew to 242MW in the first quarter of the year from 42MW in the previous quarter, the Oceantic Network said in its report, showcasing a recovery in a previously volatile industry.The offshore wind industry is expected to play a major role in helping several states and, the Biden administration meet goals to decarbonize the power grid and combat climate change.The industry had a tough 2023 after developers wrote off billions of dollars in impairment charges due to high-interest rates…
Navigation and Wind Farms: Competing Ocean Uses Raise Existential Questions
“Wind Turbines: The Bigger, the Better” -USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, August 24, 2023Last December the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a proposed sale notice regarding new development areas for utility scale wind projects in the central Atlantic Ocean. The notice includes an upfront issue: the need to mitigate conflicts with U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) activities. BOEM explains that in certain areas the Air Force has set an airspace floor of 1,000 feet above sea level and the Air Force asked BOEM to keep structures below that height.
New York Not Moving Forward With Three Offshore Wind Farms
New York State on Friday stalled three major offshore wind-energy projects after General Electric Vernova GE.N changed the turbine design, which the state said "materially altered" the plans.New York provisionally approved the projects in October 2023. They are Attentive Energy One being developed by TotalEnergies, Rise Light & Power and Corio Generation; Community Offshore Wind, which is backed by RWE and National Grid Ventures; and Vineyard Offshore's Excelsior Wind.But since then…
Jones Act Uncertainties Persist in US Offshore Wind
The Jones Act is a single sentence long, and yet somehow that reservation of U.S. domestic maritime commerce to qualified U.S.-flag vessels has spawned numerous complications with respect to offshore wind energy projects. Although not supported by prior experience, maybe 2023 will bring some clarity.U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the primary source of guidance for how the Jones Act applies. CBP issued its first two offshore wind rulings in May 2010 and February 2011 in the heady early days of U.S. offshore wind.
Next US Energy Boom Could Be Wind Power in the Gulf of Mexico
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 Virginia, 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.
Floating Power Plants: Is Nuclear the Key in the Net-zero Energy Transition?
Floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) may not immediately spring to mind as providing a solution to several of today’s key global challenges – but FNPP development is emerging as a means of decentralized stand-alone production of cost competitive hydrogen-based fuels and clean electricity and water, according to a new report by Intelatus Global Partners.The commercial case for deployment of FNPPs featuring small modular reactors is founded in the growing demand for hydrogen and…
US Grain Shipments Through Great Lakes-Seaway Up 39%
U.S. grain shipments via the Great Lakes-Seaway system totaled 312,000 metric tons from March 22 to May 31, up 39% compared to the same period in 2021. Much of the increase is due to exports of corn and soybeans out of the Port of Toledo and some new trade starting at the port of Oswego this shipping season. The rise in shipments, which are predominantly heading to Europe and North Africa, are in part due to shifting global grain trading patterns as the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine — both major grain exporters — continues.“The Great Lakes-St.
Biden Administration, East Coast States to Push Wind Energy
The Biden administration is partnering with 11 East Coast states to accelerate the development of offshore wind facilities, including addressing supply chain issues, advancing construction and boosting jobs, the White House said on Thursday.The move is part of President Joe Biden's push into cleaner energy technologies as part of its efforts to address climate change and comes as rising prices, particularly gasoline, weigh on his agenda."The partnership will support efforts to provide Americans with cleaner and cheaper energy…
DNV: Hexicon's TwinWay Floating Wind Concept Feasible for Further Development
Energy expert and assurance provider DNV has provided Swedish floating wind tech firm Hexicon with a Statement of Feasibility for its TwinWay demonstrator which will be installed and operated at Metacenter, off the coast of Norway. With achieving this first step in the certification process, DNV considers the TwinWay concept feasible for further development towards a full-scale demonstrator.The intention of the TwinWay project is to show proof of concept for Hexicon´s floating wind foundation TwinWind.
U.S. Offshore Wind Expansion: Here’s How Officials Decide Where Turbines May Go
The Biden administration has announced ambitious plans to scale up leasing for offshore wind energy projects along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. In an announcement released on Oct. 13, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Interior stated that it will “use the best available science as well as knowledge from ocean users and other stakeholders to minimize conflict with existing uses and marine life.” University of Massachusetts Boston public policy scholar David W. Cash, who worked at senior levels in state government for a decade…