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MASSACHUSETTS: New offshore wind projects delayed by state, including areas off Martha’s Vineyard

August 8, 2024 — It’s going to be at least another month before contenders for the state’s fourth, and largest, offshore wind procurement will be unveiled.

The state Department of Energy Resources on Tuesday indicated in a letter submitted to Department of Public Utilities Secretary Mark Marini that selection of projects will be postponed until Sept. 6. The agency’s evaluation team was originally scheduled to announce the selected bids and the start of negotiations on Aug. 7.

“The additional time is needed to consider any impacts to this solicitation from the recently announced federal grant to New England states through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Innovation Program for projects to invest in regional electric infrastructure to ready the onshore transmission system for offshore wind,” the letter reads.

Read the full article at Yahoo! News

DOE charts path for offshore wind grid network

March 23, 2024 — Building massive power lines in the Atlantic Ocean could link not only new offshore wind farms but also onshore electricity grids from Maine to South Carolina, according to a report released Thursday by the Department of Energy.

The Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission study, an analysis two years in the making from DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, found that a connected offshore wind network would cut down on grid congestion onshore and increase reliability of the electricity system overall. It would also allow power to flow to areas of high demand when needed as well as move from low-priced areas to high-price areas to cut electricity costs for consumers, according to DOE.

As one example, DOE said New England’s electricity system could be tied to the onshore grid in the mid-Atlantic via offshore networks.

Read the full article at E&E News

$1.1M+ in Northeast Offshore Renewable Energy Studies Includes NYSG-Funded Project

May 23, 2022 — The Northeast Sea Grant Consortium (NESGC) — in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Office and Water Power Technologies Office, and NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NOAA Fisheries) — has invested over $1.1 million in federal funds to support six projects advancing social science and technology research on offshore renewable energy in the Northeast United States.

One of the projects, a nearly $200,000 study supported by the NESGC, including New York Sea Grant (NYSG), as well as DOE and NOAA Fisheries, is led by Cornell University investigator Maha Haji, who is focusing on the development of a tool that would empower stakeholders to make more informed decisions that could substantially increase economic efficiencies in the long term, thereby increasing economic resiliency.

Read the full story at Stony Brook University News

 

DOE Releases Report Detailing Strategies to Expand Offshore Wind Deployment

January 12, 2022 — The following was released by the U.S. Department of Energy:

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced the release of a report that outlines regional and national strategies to accelerate U.S. offshore wind deployment and operation. The report summarizes the current status of offshore wind in the United States, describes challenges to accelerating its deployment, and identifies strategies to secure United States global leadership in the industry.

Implementing the strategies discussed in the report could help the country achieve the interagency goal to deploy 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, which would support 77,000 good paying jobs, catalyze $12 billion per year in capital investments, revitalize ports, cut 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, and unlock a pathway to 110 GW offshore wind by 2050.

“The Offshore Wind Energy Strategies Report outlines  strategic priorities and actionable information to accelerate offshore wind deployment and achieve the Administration’s goal of 30 gigawatts by 2030,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman. Meeting the goal of 30 GW by 2030 will create good-paying American jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and bolster the nation’s global clean energy leadership.”

Prepared by DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office, the report lays out strategies and actions needed to accelerate cost-effective, reliable U.S. offshore wind deployment and operation. The five strategic priorities areas are:

  • Increase demand for offshore wind energy and grow the domestic supply chain at lower cost by considering expansion of Federal incentives related to offshore wind energy.
  • Continue and catalyze offshore wind energy cost reductions  through technology innovation and adaptations that enable industry growth and provide affordable electricity throughout the country.
  • Improve siting and regulatory processes by increasing transparency and predictability, auctioning new lease areas, understanding development impacts, expanding stakeholder engagement, and facilitating ocean co-use.
  • Invest in supply chain development, including customized offshore wind ports and vessels to establish a logistics network and attract further investment.
  • Plan efficient and reliable transmission and grid integration to deliver offshore wind energy at scale.

Each strategic priority area is supported by several focus areas and detailed initiatives. The report also includes initiatives specific to offshore wind in four U.S. coastal regions—Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Great Lakes.

The report was developed with input from other agencies, including the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Transportation Department’s Maritime Administration, the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as DOE’s Office of Electricity, Loan Programs Office, and Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy.

Read the report, or for more information on DOE’s work to advance offshore wind energy, see DOE’s Offshore Wind R&D web page.

 

Senate proposes spending increase at environmental agencies

November 11, 2020 — The Republican-led Senate is proposing modest spending increases for environmental agencies compared to last year’s budget, diverging from proposed cuts that the Trump White House put forward earlier this year.

In its $38 billion Interior-environment spending bill for fiscal 2021, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed giving about $13.6 billion to the Interior Department and about $9.09 billion to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

That’s up from the $13.5 billion given to Interior last year and the about $9.06 billion appropriated for the EPA in the last fiscal year. The Senate has also proposed increasing the Energy Department’s budget to about $42 billion, an approximately $3.45 billion increase over last year.

The Democrat-led House has also proposed increases for these agencies.

The push by Congress to increase funding for the agencies comes after the White House in February called for cutting the EPA’s budget by 26 percent, the Interior budget by 16 percent and the Energy Department budget by 8 percent.

Read the full story at The Hill