Saving Seafood

Vineyard Wind decision shows questions remain of economic, environmental impact

May 18, 2021 — Beyond the Biden administration’s sunny outlook on prospects for a new U.S. offshore wind power industry, concerns continue among federal government experts about how building ocean turbine arrays could affect the fishing industry and protecting endangered whales.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued its final record of decision May 11 to permit Vineyard Wind, the 800-megawatt project off southern New England that would be the first truly utility-scale development in U.S. waters.

So far, the only offshore wind operating here is at two pilot projects, the five-turbine, 30 MW Block Island Wind Farm off Rhode Island, and the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, twin turbines with 12 MW total capacity. With nearly three decades of offshore wind experience in Europe, companies based there are exporting their expertise to the U.S.

But the Vineyard Wind plan as outlined in the BOEM decision document – a grid layout of 62 turbines spaced at 1-nautical-mile intervals – is so unnerving to some mobile gear fishermen that they may abandon fishing in the area, according to Army Corps of Engineers.

Commercial fishermen, led by the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, had advocated 4-nm-wide vessel transit lanes, which they contend would enhance safety.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

MASSACHUSETTS: State, New Bedford officials and local leaders criticize state’s offshore wind bid process

May 18, 2021 — In 2019, Mayflower Wind submitted multiple bids for offshore wind projects to the state. One had a higher price tag, but included investment promises for the region, such as a plan to build a factory at Brayton Point that would have employed as much as 200 people, according to Mayor Jon Mitchell; another lacked that plan, but had a lower price tag. The state selected the latter, he said.

That decision is one example the mayor cited to argue that the state has valued price over economic investment to the detriment of Southeastern Massachusetts.

In an April comment letter sent to the Baker administration and state Department of Public Utilities (DPU) — which oversees bid procurement — Mitchell, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan, state representatives, city councilors and various New Bedford business leaders said they are concerned the state’s approach to procuring offshore wind energy contracts will make it “more difficult for this region to achieve its potential.”

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times

The following is a letter from local stakeholders regarding the offshore wind bid process:

Dear Secretary Marini:

We are a group of public sector, business, and civic leaders in Southeastern Massachusetts who continue to be concerned that the Commonwealth’s approach to procuring offshore wind energy contracts will make it more difficult for our region to reach its full potential as a national leader in the industry. We offer the following comments to the draft RFP and the Initial Comments submitted last week.

The Current RFP Repeats the Mistakes of the Past

We have written previously about the state’s wind energy procurement process, and how it has yielded little in the way of permanent industry investment in Southeastern Massachusetts. As articulated by the Attorney General in her Initial Comments, the current proposed Request for Proposals for Long-Term Contracts for Offshore Wind Energy Projects, despite modest improvements, essentially repeats the mistakes of the first two solicitations. The root of the problem is the Commonwealth’s continued insistence on obscuring the value of economic benefits in the evaluation of project proposals, coupled with its leaving the evaluation of economic benefits entirely in the hands of the state’s utilities. As the developers themselves explicitly noted in their comments to the draft RFP, the net effect again will likely be an award based almost exclusively on price, and the continued capturing of still more industry investment by East Coast states that have been more eager to compete for it.

Our frustration is based on our intensely felt recognition that attracting capital to formerly industrial cities that are not part of a major metropolitan area is inherently difficult. In America’s winner-takes-all economy of the last twenty years, in which so-called “superstar” cities like Boston have pulled in the lion’s share of the country’s investment capital, the offshore wind industry offers a rare opportunity for our region to expand its economic base. With its close proximity to wind energy areas, maritime workforce, and high-functioning port infrastructure, Southeastern Massachusetts is naturally suited to attract a wind industry cluster and the well-paying jobs that would come with it.

Many of us have worked for most of the last decade to cultivate the industry’s interest in our region, and we are proud that our early work laid the foundation for industry’s acceptance across Massachusetts and beyond. Although we are excited that the industry will help to lower America’s carbon emissions, our effort has been primarily about economic development. So it has been troubling for us to witness the establishment of headquarters and regional offices of major wind companies in Boston.

We fear that the DOER’s tweaks of the previous RFP will not meaningfully change the outcome. As the Attorney General notes, “The Proposed RFP’s evaluation protocol, including the failure to disclose the relative value that evaluators will place on each of the Proposed RFP’s required commitments, may result in missed opportunities for the Commonwealth.” See AGO’s Initial Comments at 5-6. We couldn’t agree more, and we fear that the developers, not knowing the actual value assigned to economic benefits, will again submit alternate bids, and the utilities again will select one that is light on investment commitments. Unless the utilities are required to disclose how they will score economic benefits, our region could lose out again.

Read the full letter here

REP. HUFFMAN’S BILL BANNING OFFSHORE DRILLING CONSIDERED BY SUBCOMMITTEE THURSDAY

May 17, 2021 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

North Coast Congressman joined a subcommittee hearing on Thursday on protecting coastal communities and ocean resources from offshore drilling, which included consideration of his legislation, the North Pacific Ocean Protection Act.

Huffman said the bill would prohibit new oil and gas leases off the coasts of Northern and Central California, Oregon, and Washington, ensuring a sustainable future for coastal communities and the millions of jobs and billions of dollars in wages that depend on healthy oceans and coasts.

“We are not going to sacrifice the scenic, economic, tourism, cultural, and environmental values of our coastal regions at the altar of short-term profits for the fossil fuel industry. The risks of offshore drilling for our ocean-dependent economies and for marine ecosystems is not even close to worth it for us,” Rep. Huffman said during the hearing. “The bills we’re considering today go hand in hand with other necessary actions to reduce emissions and invest in renewable energy all while reducing risks and making sure that our coasts are clean, safe, and available to all Americans, not a sacrifice zone for the fossil fuel industry. Now we have an administration that gets it, and they are putting forward thoughtful, comprehensive solutions. But administrations can change, and we saw that during the last four years — what it means when an administration has a reckless drill everywhere agenda. We should not leave this to chance. Our oceans, our fisheries, our coastal communities and economies, and our planet are too important to put at risk.”

Read the full press release:

House Natural Resources Committee Holds Hearing on Huffman’s Bill to Ban Offshore Drilling

Legislation would protect North Pacific Coast, Communities from Offshore Drilling Risks

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) joined a subcommittee hearing on protecting coastal communities and ocean resources from offshore drilling, which included consideration of his legislation, H.R. 3048, the North Pacific Ocean Protection Act. This bill would prohibit new oil and gas leases off the coasts of Northern and Central California, Oregon, and Washington, ensuring a sustainable future for coastal communities and the millions of jobs and billions of dollars in wages that depend on healthy oceans and coasts.

Representative Huffman has led the charge to protect the entire West Coast as well as the Arctic Ocean from offshore drilling. In 2015, Rep Huffman first introduced his West Coast Ocean Protection Act to permanently protect the California, Oregon, and Washington coasts by amending the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to prohibit new oil or natural gas leases in each state’s outer continental shelves and permanently protect the $44 billion coastal economies of the three states.

Rep. Huffman has led several other key pieces of legislation to shepherd permanent protections for the West Coast, including:

  • the Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act, bipartisan legislation to permanently ban oil and gas leasing off both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts;
  • the Keep it in the Ground Act, legislation that would reduce carbon emissions and our nation’s addiction to fossil fuels by permanently barring new fossil fuel leases on all federal public lands and in federal waters;
  • the Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act, which would prohibit new or renewed oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Ocean Planning Areas of the Outer Continental Shelf.
  • Rep. Huffman’s West Coast Ocean Protection Act was also included in the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis’ Climate Action Plan, a comprehensive congressional climate action framework, during the 116th Congress.

“We are not going to sacrifice the scenic, economic, tourism, cultural, and environmental values of our coastal regions at the altar of short-term profits for the fossil fuel industry. The risks of offshore drilling for our ocean-dependent economies and for marine ecosystems is not even close to worth it for us,” Rep. Huffman said during the hearing. “The bills we’re considering today go hand in hand with other necessary actions to reduce emissions and invest in renewable energy all while reducing risks and making sure that our coasts are clean, safe, and available to all Americans, not a sacrifice zone for the fossil fuel industry. Now we have an administration that gets it, and they are putting forward thoughtful, comprehensive solutions. But administrations can change, and we saw that during the last four years — what it means when an administration has a reckless drill everywhere agenda. We should not leave this to chance. Our oceans, our fisheries, our coastal communities and economies, and our planet are too important to put at risk.”

“Permanently protecting our coasts from dirty and dangerous drilling is a crucial step toward addressing the climate crisis and protecting millions of jobs nationwide that rely on a clean coast economy,” said Oceana Campaign Director Diane Hoskins. “Oceana applauds Congressman Huffman for introducing the North Pacific Ocean Protection Act, which would permanently protect the waters off of Central and Northern California, as well as Oregon and Washington from new oil drilling. From toxic oil spills to accelerated climate devastation, we cannot afford any new offshore drilling. We must permanently end new leasing for offshore drilling and transition to clean, renewable energy sources like offshore wind to create jobs and power our clean energy future.”

“The North Pacific Ocean Protection Act will ensure that the Washington, Oregon and Northern and Central California coastal environments, economies and ways of life will be protected from the harmful effects of offshore oil and gas development. The Surfrider Foundation strongly endorses HR 3048 and urges members of Congress to support this and other legislation to permanently ban new offshore drilling in U.S. water,” said Pete Stauffer, Environmental Director, Surfrider Foundation

“Offshore drilling and leasing are not compatible with President Biden’s climate goal of protecting 30 percent of our lands and 30 percent of our waters by 2030, for a safe, livable future. We need to protect our coastal economies, stop pollution and spills from damaging fragile coastal ecosystems, and fight climate change. That’s why the Sierra Club continues to oppose any leasing or drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf and wholeheartedly supports this legislation,” said Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program.

“This bill is exactly what is needed now to safeguard our coastal economy, restaurant and fishing jobs, and the health of our oceans. We can’t afford to subject our coastline or our country to more industrial pollution and the ever-present threat of another BP-style disaster,” said Irene Gutierrez, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council.

Few assurances for fishermen in federal offshore wind approval

May 17, 2021 — Offshore wind developers have assured the commercial fishing industry all along that the thousands of massive turbines that they want to install in the ocean up and down the East Coast won’t block fishermen from waters where they make their living.

But the final approval issued this week for Vineyard Wind 1, the nation’s first major offshore wind farm, offers few guarantees to commercial fishermen.

Take for instance this passage from the Army Corps of Engineers in the Record of Decision for the 62-turbine project that would be built off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachusetts:

“While Vineyard Wind is not authorized to prevent free access to the entire wind development area, due to the placement of the turbines it is likely that the entire 75,614 acre area will be abandoned by commercial fisheries due to difficulties with navigation.”

Read the full story at the Providence Journal

The Vineyard Wind approval could usher in the first wave of offshore projects

May 14, 2021 — The Biden administration greenlit the first large-scale offshore wind project this month in a move that could help jumpstart an industry that thus far has been stagnant in the United States.

It’s a small first step toward meeting a goal President Joe Biden set in March for the U.S. to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, but the country has a long way to go. Currently, the U.S. only has two small-scale pilot offshore wind projects in operation, one off the coast of Rhode Island and the other off the coast of Virginia, totaling about 42 megawatts of power.

Nonetheless, renewable energy advocates and energy analysts say the approval of the first large-scale project is a significant milestone for the offshore wind industry.

“It will facilitate the first wave of significant projects,” said Laura Morton, the senior director of offshore policy and regulatory affairs for the American Clean Power Association.

Read the full story at The Washington Examiner

NEW JERSEY: LBI Officials Find Support in Other Areas for Opposing Offshore Wind

May 14, 2021 — With the state Board of Public Utilities’ anticipated decision on granting approval for a second wind farm off the coast expected next month, Long Beach Island officials met in April with counterparts from Cape May County and state and federal legislators to discuss the negative impacts of offshore wind farms on shore communities.

“The Island, as a whole, is against it. The whole coast is against it,” said Surf City Mayor Francis Hodgson, who hosted the virtual meeting last month. “This is how I look at it: What is LBI going to gain? Nothing. What’s the liability? It might ruin our tourism industry. It might ruin the fishing industry. Why take the chance?”

In addition to Island officials, Congressman Jeff Van Drew, state Sen. Chris Connors and Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli were present. Van Drew extended an invitation to the mayor of Ocean City, who sent a representative, and a businessman from Cape May County attended, Hodgson said.

“It (the opposition) has some power behind it,” Hodgson said. “We all agreed this is not the end of it. We’ve got to keep the pressure on.”

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind is poised to build the second wind farm in the state, in part off the coast of Long Beach Island. The closest western, or in-shore, boundary of the lease site is 10 miles from Barnegat Light and 9 miles from Holgate. The lease area has the potential to generate 3 gigawatts of offshore wind energy. Atlantic Shores plans to start onshore construction of substations in 2024 and offshore construction by 2025. The project is a 50-50 partnership between Shell New Energies US LLC and EDF Renewables North America. It was formed in December 2018 to co-develop nearly 183,353 acres of leased sea area on the Outer Continental Shelf, located within the New Jersey Wind Energy Area.

As a fishing fleet owner, Larson said, “I stand behind the Garden State Seafood Association and the [Fisheries] Survival Fund and those kinds of outfits, and RODA (Responsible Offshore Development Alliance). He was referring to a coalition of fishing industry associations that are concerned about impacts to the commercial seafood industry.

Read the full story at The Sand Piper

French fishermen mount protests against offshore wind

May 14, 2021 — The start of construction for 62 wind turbines off the northwest coast of France triggered intense protests from commercial fishermen who fear potential impacts on scallops and other fisheries.

The project off the Côtes-d’Armor region of Brittany brought out a May 7 demonstration by a reported 72 fishing vessels that maneuvered around the 457-foot wind turbine installation vessel Aeolus.

Dutch offshore operator Van Oord is installing jacket foundations for the 496-megawatt project by Ailes Marine, a subsidiary of Spanish renewable energy company Iberdrola. The developers successfully defended the plan against court challenges and the first piling installations started May 3.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

White House climate czar pledges to balance offshore wind, fishing sector

May 13, 2021 — The White House’s top climate official promised Wednesday that the administration will listen to concerns of the fishing industry as President Biden pushes forward with a major expansion of offshore wind energy.

Gina McCarthy — who led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Obama and is now the first-ever White House national climate adviser — said the administration already took those complaints into account before granting approval Tuesday to Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm.

“We needed to make sure with Vineyard Wind that we paid close attention to the concerns of our fishers,” McCarthy told 12 News in an interview. “Our fisheries industry is important — it’s part of who we stand for — and so we did tremendous outreach.”

She added, “Certainly there remains concerns, and we’re going to be diligent all through the construction process.”

Set to be staged out of the Port of New Bedford, Vineyard Wind is an 84-turbine project off Martha’s Vineyard that is supposed to generate 800 megawatts of electricity — enough to power 400,000 homes — once it’s up and running. Federal, state and local leaders have hailed it as a milestone for Southern New England and the nation as a whole.

Read the full story at WPRI

Biden administration clears way for Vineyard Wind

May 12, 2021 — The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued its record of decision Tuesday, May 11, approving the Vineyard Wind offshore energy project. The decision is a bellwether event that could trigger a wave of domestic investment in wind power equipment and shipbuilding. Fishing industry advocates worry that it sets the stage for privatizing the public resource on which their livelihoods rely.

“BOEM continues to abdicate its responsibility to the public and leave all decision making to large, multinational corporations, including this decision which includes effectively no mitigation measures to offset impacts to critical ocean ecosystems and commercial fisheries,” said the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance in a statement. “To the best of our knowledge BOEM did not even consider any mitigation measures recommended by RODA or any fisheries professionals, scientists, or natural resource managers, despite having clearly defined requests available to them.”

The record of decision is an interagency document for permitting by BOEM, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Vineyard Wind developers Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners next must submit a facility design report and a fabrication and installation report detailing details for how the 800-megawatt, $2.8 billion turbine array “will be fabricated and installed in accordance with the approved Construction and Operations Plan,” according to the announcement from the Department of Interior.

The decision hews to the agency preferred alternative of a grid layout of 62 turbines spaced at 1-nautical-mile intervals. Commercial fishermen, led by the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, had advocated 4-nm-wide vessel transit lanes, which they contend would enhance safety.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Biden administration grants Vineyard Wind its final major permit

May 12, 2021 — After two decades of false starts and lengthy delays, Massachusetts is poised to get the nation’s first large-scale offshore wind farm with the approval Tuesday by the Biden administration of a massive energy project in federal waters some 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

The decision is an important milestone for the Biden administration’s effort to battle climate change by moving the nation’s energy policy away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources. It is also validation of a push for wind power that started in Massachusetts some 20 years ago with the Cape Wind project that was proposed for waters in Nantucket Sound and eventually collapsed in the face of stiff opposition.

The Vineyard Wind project approved Tuesday would generate up to 800 megawatts of electricity from 62 giant turbines, enough to power at least 400,000 homes. Construction is expected to begin before the end of the year, once the developers have secured financing for the nearly $3 billion project. They hope to be generating electricity from a portion of the project by late 2023, with construction ending the following year.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe