Saving Seafood

US offshore wind developers look to higher prices amid election uncertainty

November 5, 2024 — Offshore wind energy developers already invested heavily in U.S. Atlantic waters are looking for new power purchase agreements with Northeast states, a quest complicated by uncertainty over the presidential election, the wind industry group Oceantic says in a new report.

“This slowdown comes at a critical time: states have reorganized their project portfolios after rising costs scrambled industry economics and are pushing hard for new offtake agreements,” Oceantic says in its recently published 2024 third quarter report. But the group says “the federal government has hit its stride in permitting advancements and has begun releasing Inflation Reduction Act funding. The market is primed for impressive growth.”

With support from the Biden administration, Northeast state governments and a determined permitting drive by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, BOEM has issued permits in various stages for 10 projects, according to the Oceantic report.

The group’s optimistic outlook came out just before a lackluster BOEM lease auction in the deepwater Gulf of Maine that drew $21.9 million in bids for four out of nine tracts offered. The prospects for developing arrays of floating wind turbines in the Northeast U.S. still depend on future development of suitable ports, infrastructure and technology.

Read the full article at WorkBoat

VIRGINIA: Dominion pauses offshore turbine installation for whale migration

November 5, 2024 — Dominion Energy has halted some construction on its massive offshore wind project off the coast of Virginia to allow endangered whales to migrate through the area in the winter.

The 176-turbine project will be the largest offshore wind farm in U.S. waters if completed on schedule in 2026, at a cost of nearly $10 billion. So far, Dominion Energy has installed 78 steel turbine foundations and four offshore substation foundations in its federal lease area, which is located 27 miles off the Virginia coast.

The Richmond utility has paused further foundation installation — which requires hammering steel structures into the seafloor — until May 1 to allow endangered North Atlantic right whales to migrate through the area with less noise disturbance.

Read the full article at E&E News

Ocean City expects BOEM lawsuit to cost up to $400K

November 1, 2024 — The Town of Ocean City and several local agencies and businesses are suing a federal agency over its approval process for the US Wind project off Maryland’s coast.

On Oct. 25, the Town of Ocean City announced it has retained Marzulla Law, LLC to file a lawsuit against the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The lawsuit, which lists several co-plaintiffs, challenges the agency’s process for approving the US Wind project, which will involve the construction of 114, 938-foot-tall wind turbines roughly 10 miles off the coast of Ocean City.

“We have a responsibility to protect our ecosystem, our economy, view shed and our future,” Mayor Rick Meehan said in a news release. “For the past seven and half years we have been trying to work with the State of Maryland and the federal government to address our concerns with this project. All of our concerns were either ignored or considered insignificant. It is unfortunate that it has come to this, but the Town was left with no choice but to file suit against BOEM and challenge their favorable record of decision on the US Wind project.”

In September, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a favorable record of decision for the commercial-scale Maryland offshore wind project. The agency’s approval concluded a two-year National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and set US Wind on a path to securing all of its remaining federal permits by the end of 2024.

Read the full article at The Dispatch

Maine offshore wind auction draws a few takers

October 31, 2024 — Two companies have won development rights to construct floating offshore wind turbines off Maine’s coastline, but lackluster interest in the bids highlights the impact of inflation and other economic challenges that have slowed the industry.

On Tuesday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced that the federal government’s “first-ever” wind energy lease sale resulted in nearly $22 million in lease payments for four parcels off the coast of Maine and Massachusetts.

Connecticut-based Avangrid Renewables submitted winning bids of $4.9 million and $6.2 million for two parcels about 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. In comparison, Invenergy NE Offshore Wind won a $4.9 million bid to develop wind energy more than 46 miles off Maine’s coastline and another project off Cape Cod for $5.8 million. Combined, the companies leased nearly 440,000 acres of federal waters.

However, only half of the areas offered for lease by the federal agency were bid on, far less than offshore wind leases in previous rounds. In 2022, developers bid $4.37 billion on six lease parcels off the coast of New York and another $757 million on areas off California’s shores, according to agency data.

Read the full article at The Center Square

BOEM Announces POWERON Acoustic Monitoring Program for Offshore Wind Projects

October 31, 2024 — The following was released by BOEM:

Today, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the establishment of the Partnership for an Offshore Wind Energy Regional Observation Network (POWERON), an innovative public-private partnership between BOEM and offshore wind lessees designed to maximize the quality and consistency of scientific data collected in lease areas while conserving and optimizing resources. This partnership is the latest way that the Biden-Harris administration is harnessing technology to responsibly advance offshore wind development in a way that protects biodiversity.

The POWERON initiative expands BOEM’s recently established Passive Acoustic Monitoring Network in the Atlantic Ocean, which the bureau launched with $5.8 million of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, to study the potential impacts of offshore wind facility operations on baleen whales.

“As we work to meet the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, we know that we can achieve far more working together than we can working alone,” said Elizabeth Klein, BOEM director. “POWERON will maximize the quality and consistency of marine species monitoring data by pooling resources among partners, processing data in a consistent manner, openly sharing information, and contributing to the growing body of scientific knowledge on the marine environment.”

“Because the construction and operation of offshore wind facilities will occur within protected species habitats, having a robust monitoring program is critical for understanding the potential impacts offshore wind development might have on these species,” said Dr. Jill Lewandowski, Chief of BOEM’s Division of Environmental Assessment and Director of BOEM’s Center for Marine Acoustics. “One effective method for long-term monitoring is passive acoustics, because it allows us to track vocalizing species and changes to marine soundscapes.”

BOEM requires offshore wind lessees to conduct long-term passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) on their lease areas to measure sound levels and monitor for the presence of vocalizing marine species like whales and dolphins. With this new program, lessees can make annual contributions to POWERON to have their long-term PAM requirements fulfilled by an approved third party.

Conducting monitoring through POWERON has multiple benefits, including:

  • Data consistency – Research will use similar instrument types, consistent calibration, and standard methods for data processing, which will lead to more robust results.
  • Conserving/optimizing resources – POWERON can pool resources among partners, such as refurbishing instruments on neighboring lease areas on the same expedition to save on the costs of vessel time.
  • Comprehensive data sets – Data collected from different locations and across multiple areas will be processed together to tell a more complete story about the presence, behavior, and movements of whales through these areas.

Annual POWERON contributions will cover the cost of instrumentation, vessel time, data processing, and analysis conducted by authorized third parties. Contributions will also cover the costs of archiving data at a public passive acoustic data repository hosted by the National Centers for Environmental Information.

BOEM has an interagency agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center to conduct PAM in the Atlantic Ocean off southern New England. In addition, BOEM recently signed a contract with the Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative to conduct other POWERON monitoring along the eastern seaboard.

To date, three offshore wind energy projects have opted-in to POWERON: Revolution Wind and South Fork Wind (both Ørsted projects), and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (a Dominion Energy project).

— BOEM —

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) manages development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) energy, mineral, and geological resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way.

US Gulf of Maine offshore wind auction attracts scant interest

October 30, 2024 — A U.S. auction of offshore wind development rights in the Gulf of Maine on Tuesday drew bids for only half of the eight offered leases, for a total of just $21.9 million in high bids, in the latest sign of deep industry malaise.

The sale was a stark display of the lack of industry appetite for new investment after a year of high-profile setbacks that include canceled projects, two shelved lease sales in Oregon and the Gulf of Mexico and a construction accident at the nation’s first major offshore wind project.

It also demonstrated a reluctance to bet big money on projects that will require floating wind turbines, an emerging technology required in very deep waters like those of the Gulf of Maine.

After just one round of bidding, four of eight offered leases sold to developers Avangrid (AGR.N), opens new tab and Invenergy, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said. They were among 14 companies that had been qualified to bid at the sale.

Read the full article at Reuters 

MAINE: Maine groups receive federal grants to help train the next generation of fishers

October 30, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has awarded USD 387,404 (EUR 356,478) to two Maine-based groups to help train the next generation of fishers.

“Maine is known around the world for our proud fishing heritage thanks to the generations of hardworking men and women who have sustained it,” Maine’s congressional delegation said in a joint statement. “These investments in youth workforce development will help ensure that young Mainers entering the commercial fishing sector have the skills and support they need to succeed, preserving the strength of this vital industry now and into the future.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US chooses winning bids in first commercial sale for floating offshore Atlantic wind

October 29, 2024 — The U.S. government chose winning bids Tuesday to develop wind power off New England in the first commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic coast.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held a lease sale and selected nearly $22 million in winning bids for four lease areas from two firms. The sale is a major step toward accelerating President Joe Biden’s goal of dramatically expanding offshore wind energy capacity by 2030.

Environmentalists praised the lease sale, though commercial fishermen who have questioned the expansion of offshore wind said they remain opposed. The lease areas are in the Gulf of Maine, which is a critical fishing ground for the U.S. lobster industry.

The awarding of the leases is “a critical step in our fight against climate change,” said U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.

Read the full article at Associated Press

Biden-Harris Administration Holds First Offshore Wind Lease Sale in the Gulf of Maine

October 29, 2024 — The following was released by the U.S. Department of the Interior:

Today, the Biden-Harris administration completed its sixth offshore wind lease sale by offering areas in the Gulf of Maine – the first commercial sale for floating offshore wind on the Atlantic Coast. The sale, conducted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), resulted in two provisional winners on four lease areas and over $21.9 million in winning bids.

Today’s lease sale is yet another significant milestone in the Biden-Harris administration’s work to meet the President’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 and 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind energy by 2035.

“Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, we’ve been committed to achieving our ambitious clean energy goals. With ten approved offshore wind projects capable of powering over 5 million homes, we are well on our way to a clean energy future,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “Today’s successful auction marks yet another critical step in our fight against climate change. Together, we can create good paying jobs, build a domestic supply chain, and ensure that the momentum of this offshore industry continues for generations to come”

Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of the Interior has:

  • Approved 10 commercial scale offshore wind energy projects – up from zero at the start of the Administration
  • Approved more than 15 gigawatts of clean energy from offshore wind projects — enough to power over 5 million homes.
  • Held six offshore wind lease auctions, including a record-breaking sale offshore New York and the first-ever sales offshore the Pacific and Gulf Coasts.
  • Announced a schedule of lease sales through 2028.
  • Taken steps to grow a sustainable offshore wind energy industry by encouraging the use of project labor agreements, strengthening workforce training, bolstering domestic supply chains, consulting with Tribes, and enhancing engagement with fisheries, communities and ocean users.

Through today’s sale, Avangrid Renewables, LLC won Lease OCS-564 at $4,928,250, which consists of 98,565 acres and Lease OCS-568 at $6,244,850, which consists of 124,897 acres. Both lease areas are approximately 29.5 nautical miles (nm) from Massachusetts.

Invenergy NE Offshore Wind, LLC won Lease OCS-562 at $4,892,700, which consists of 97,854 acres and is approximately 46.2 nm from Maine and Lease OCS-567 at $5,889,000 which consists of 117,780 acres is approximately 21.6 nautical miles (nm) from Massachusetts.

Together, the leased areas have the potential to power more than 2.3 million homes with clean energy.

“To ensure we got the process of bringing offshore wind to the Gulf of Maine right, we’ve engaged in over a hundred outreach efforts with local communities and connected with thousands of partners and stakeholders,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “Collaboration with partners and stakeholders is key to making progress. By working closely with states, Tribes, ocean users, and industry leaders, we are building a sustainable new industry that will meet our nation’s current and future energy needs.”

President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is growing the American economy from the middle out and bottom up – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving nearly a trillion dollars in new private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating good-paying jobs and building a clean energy economy that will combat the climate crisis and make our communities more resilient. The Biden-Harris administration is harnessing these historic investments and using tools from across federal agencies to support the growing American offshore wind industry, leading to the approval and construction of the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind projects, which has created new jobs in factories and shipyards across the country. Today’s lease sale will support development of floating offshore wind in deep water sites, and the Administration is working through the interagency Floating Offshore Wind Shot to position the United States as a leader on these new technologies.

Today’s sale resulted in over $5.4 million total bidding credits. These bidding credits represent binding commitments by companies to invest over $2.7 million in workforce training and domestic supply chain development, and an additional $2.7 million for fisheries compensatory mitigation.

In addition, lease stipulations require that the lessees make every reasonable effort to enter into a project labor agreement covering the construction stage of any project for the lease areas; develop communication plans for engagement with Tribes, agencies, and fisheries; and provide semi-annual reports on engagement activities with Tribes and communities.

The leases awarded today do not authorize the construction or operation of any offshore wind facilities. Rather, they provide the right to submit a project plan for BOEM’s review. BOEM will develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the specific impacts of any project proposals before making decisions on whether to approve a proposed construction and operations plan. The EIS will be prepared in consultation with Tribes and appropriate government agencies, and informed by input from stakeholders, ocean users, and the public.

 

BOEM is committed to workforce development and to the establishment of a durable domestic supply chain that can sustain the U.S. offshore wind energy industry. More information about today’s sale, including a map of the lease areas, requirements regarding the bidding credits, and lease stipulations can be found on BOEM’s website.