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Wednesday, February 12, 2025
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Offshore Renewables News

21 Jan 2025

European firms exposed as Trump targets US offshore wind

(c) maximages / Adobestock

U.S. President Donald Trump in his first day of office on Monday suspended new federal offshore wind leasing pending an environmental and economic review, saying wind mills are ugly, expensive and harm wildlife.Former President Joe Biden supported the offshore wind industry, setting a target for 30 gigawatts (GW) of projects by 2030, up from 42 megawatts at the end of 2023, prompting many European project developers to acquire leases and plan wind farms in the United States.Trump's executive order is not expected to stop existing U.S.

17 Jan 2025

SouthCoast Wind gets final BOEM nod

(c) Zozulinskyi / Adobestock

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced its approval of the Construction and Operations Plan for the SouthCoast Wind Project. This is the final approval needed for the project from BOEM following the Department of the Interior’s December 2024 Record of Decision. “We are proud to announce BOEM’s final approval of the SouthCoast Wind project, the nation’s eleventh commercial-scale offshore wind energy project, which will power more than 840,000 homes,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. "...

17 Dec 2024

Mandatory Turbine Upgrade Mandate Upsets Wind Industry

Wind parks operating in the Spanish region of Galicia will be obliged to replace ageing turbines after 25 years under a package of measures approved by the regional parliament on Tuesday, sparking an outcry from the renewables industry.Under the rules which come into force on Jan. 1, developers risk losing their operating permits unless they begin replacing 25-year-old turbines with new, more efficient and taller wind mills.Critics say the measure - the first of its kind to be approved in Europe - jeopardises the development of essential renewable projects and increases legal uncertainty. When to upgrade assets has always been a decision taken by developers…

02 Dec 2024

BOEM ID's Environmental Measures for NY Bight Wind

In support of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today issued a Record of Decision identifying environmental measures expected to be applied to future wind energy development of the six lease areas offshore New York and New Jersey in an area known as the New York Bight. BOEM estimates that full development of the six lease areas could generate up to 7 GW of offshore wind energy, enough to power up to two million homes. This decision follows BOEM’s announcement of the New York Bight Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on October 21, 2024.

20 Nov 2024

Poland to Boost Offshore Wind, Energy Security

Poland is planning to assign new areas for offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea and is drafting additional measures to boost the security of its critical energy infrastructure, government officials said on Wednesday."Maritime offices will submit analyses any moment, which will give grounds to make a decision on designating new areas for offshore wind farms," Deputy Infrastructure Minister Arkadiusz Marchewka told an industry conference.Poland is boosting its offshore ambitions in the Baltic Sea, even though Sweden earlier this month rejected applications to build offshore wind farms in the Baltic saying they would pose defence risks."Offshore wind is Poland's reason of state…

05 Nov 2024

Orsted Addresses Swedish Baltic Sea Wind Concerns

Orsted CEO assures Sweden that the offshore wind industry has solutions that would address defense concerns. At issue: Sweden's rejection of a proposed 13 offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea.Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said on Monday that building wind farms in the Baltic Sea would pose defense risks, by making it harder to detect and shoot down missiles. As Europe turns to renewable sources to diversify energy supplies away from Russian oil and gas, concerns have also risen about how to secure critical maritime infrastructure.Sweden joined NATO this year in response to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "We fully understand the valid concerns from the armed forces and the Swedish government…

29 Oct 2024

US Gulf of Maine Offshore Wind Auction Draws Just $22 Million in Bids

© lesniewski / Adobe Stock

A Biden administration auction of offshore wind development rights in the Gulf of Maine drew $21.9 million in high bids for half of the eight areas offered, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said on Tuesday.Offshore wind developers Avangrid AGR.N and Invenergy each walked away with two leases following one round of bidding. They were among 14 companies that had been qualified to bid at the sale.Once developed, the lease areas have the potential to power more than 2.3 million homes…