Saving Seafood

California congressman urges closer consultation with tribes on offshore wind

May 21, 2024 — A congressman who represents California’s north coast has sent a letter to federal regulators asking that they “urgently place” a senior official in the state to respond to tribal needs as wind power is developed offshore.

U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman sent the letter as the U.S. offshore wind industry begins to take shape and as tribal communities in California and Oregon express frustration with what they say is a lack of consultation on proposals that affect culturally significant waters and land.

“Regional tribal nations are asking for the opportunity to help influence the way in which offshore wind is executed off the shores of the West Coast,” said Heidi Moore-Guynup, director of tribal and government affairs for Blue Lake Rancheria, in an interview Friday. “They’ve been the stewards of the waterways, bays and oceans since time immemorial and want to ensure that the health of such waterways and the species that live among them is preserved.”

Read the full article at the Associated Press

Vineyard Wind 1 Fisheries Compensation Program Application Deadline Approaching

May 21, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

This notice is a reminder to commercial fishermen that the eligibility period to apply for the Vineyard Wind 1 Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program ends on June 3, 2024. Commercial fishing vessel owners/operators must submit an online application prior to the June 3, 2024, deadline, to be considered for eligibility.

Vineyard Wind opened the 90-day eligibility period for the Program in March 2024. The Program was created to provide compensation to commercial fishing vessels/operators for economic losses attributable to construction, operation, and decommissioning activities of Vineyard Wind 1. The program is open to commercial fishing vessel owners/lessees in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island who can demonstrate historical fishing activities in the lease area, OCS-A 0501, which is south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Additional information about the program, including eligibility criteria, is available on the program website along with some FAQs about the application process available here. Specific questions regarding eligibility or the application process for the Vineyard Wind 1 Program should be sent via the Vineyard Wind 1 Fishery Compensation Fund website here.

Glauconite poses challenge to another offshore wind farm project

May 19, 2024 — Another wind project on the East Coast may face challenges with turbine installation due to glauconite, a soil that crushes under high pressure.

Preliminary geotechnical analysis for New England Wind, an Avangrid project, showed a risk of turbine pile foundation refusal in 50 of nearly 130 turbine locations, or about 40%, according to 2023 records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

In response to interview requests, an Avangrid spokesperson in a written statement said the company has a “well-informed understanding of the conditions in its lease area, including the presence of glauconite.”

“Avangrid does not expect the presence of glauconite to result in any pile refusals in its New England Wind 1 project, but has considered the potential for pile refusals within its New England Wind 2 development plans,” said Avangrid spokesperson Craig Gilvarg.

Records show BOEM asked Avangrid whether glauconite is a concern in what’s now the New England Wind lease. Avangrid responded in early 2023 that glauconite is present within the expected pile penetration depth and “may present some challenges,” but is “not anticipated to be a significant concern.”

Read the full article at The New Bedford Light

“Steel in the Water” for Next Two Large U.S. Offshore Wind Farms

May 16, 2024 — Two of the larger offshore wind farms planned for the U.S. East Coast have each gotten underway with their offshore installation. Coming just months after the commissioning of the first commercial-scale U.S. offshore wind farm it is the latest demonstration of the building momentum in the sector after the challenges in 2023.

Located roughly 15 miles south of the Rhode Island coast and 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast, the Revolution Wind project is adjacent to Ørsted and Eversource’s South Fork Wind, America’s first utility-scale offshore wind farm. The project also highlights that it will be the first multi-state offshore wind farm in the United States supplying power to both states.

First steel was achieved for Revolution Wind pounding in the first of the 65 turbine foundations that will hold the turbines. The project is expected to be in operation in 2025. Once in operation, it will generate 400 megawatts of offshore wind power for Rhode Island and 304 megawatts for Connecticut, enough clean energy to power more than 350,000 homes across both states.

Read the full article at The Maritime Executive

NEW JERSEY: Public Hearings Set For Wind Farm Off Atlantic County Coast

May 14, 2024 — Residents will have several chances to voice their opinions on a proposed offshore wind farm through virtual and in-person hearings.

Atlantic Shores South is proposing up to 200 wind turbines about 8.7 miles off the coast of Atlantic City. Also proposed are up to 10 offshore substations, a permanent meteorological tower, cables and more. An export cable would make landfall in Atlantic City and connect to a proposed onshore substation located on Fire Road in Egg Harbor Township.

Read the full article at the Patch 

Why U.S. Offshore Wind Power is Struggling

May 13, 2024 — America’s first large-scale offshore wind farms began sending power to the Northeast in early 2024, but a wave of wind farm project cancellations and rising costs have left many people with doubts about the industry’s future in the U.S.

Several big hitters, including Ørsted, Equinor, BP and Avangrid, have canceled contracts or sought to renegotiate them in recent months. Pulling out meant the companies faced cancellation penalties ranging from US$16 million to several hundred million dollars per project. It also resulted in Siemens Energy, the world’s largest maker of offshore wind turbines, anticipating financial losses in 2024 of around $2.2 billion.

Altogether, projects that had been canceled by the end of 2023 were expected to total more than 12 gigawatts of power, representing more than half of the capacity in the project pipeline.

So, what happened, and can the U.S. offshore wind industry recover?

I lead UMass Lowell’s Center for Wind Energy Science Technology and Research WindSTAR and Center for Energy Innovation and follow the industry closely. The offshore wind industry’s troubles are complicated, but it’s far from dead in the U.S., and some policy changes may help it find firmer footing.

Read the full article at the Maritime Executive

Trump vows ‘day one’ executive order targeting offshore wind

May 13, 2024 — Donald Trump vowed to issue an executive order targeting offshore wind development if he wins a second term as president, making his most explicit threat yet toward the growing industry.

The presumptive Republican nominee derided offshore wind projects as lethal for birds and whales during his oceanfront rally Saturday in Wildwood, New Jersey, and committed to take action.

“We are going to make sure that that ends on day one,” he said. “I’m going to write it out in an executive order.”

While Trump has made no secret of his animus to wind power, he had adopted a mostly hands-off posture during his first term in the White House. The remarks in New Jersey suggest he may take a more aggressive stance if given a second.

Read the full article at the Boston Globe

Federal government seeking feedback ahead of Gulf of Maine offshore wind auction

May 13, 2024 — As Maine is still figuring out where to build a port for its budding offshore wind industry, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced its proposal to auction offshore wind leases in the Gulf of Maine April 30.

As part of the Biden administration’s efforts to drive more offshore wind development, the Gulf of Maine is slated to have eight lease areas offshore Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which have the potential to generate 15 gigawatts of clean energy to power more than 5 million homes, according to a news release from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

“We’re taking decisive action to catalyze America’s offshore wind industry and leverage American innovation to provide reliable, affordable power to homes and businesses, all while addressing the climate crisis,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

Read the full article at NH Business Review

VIRGINIA: Dominion Energy delays construction for Virginia Beach offshore wind farm, says lawsuit won’t affect timeline

May 12, 2024 — Dominion Energy delayed installation of the first batch of offshore wind turbine bases for its Virginia Beach wind farm, but a spokesperson said an ongoing lawsuit will have no impact on the construction timeline.

Installation of the wind turbine monopiles, expected to begin this week, could get underway as soon as next week, said Dominion spokesperson Jeremy Slayton. He said a slight delay in the arrival of an installation support vessel pushed back the start date.

However, Slayton said the Orion, the large ship which will transport and install the monopiles, is ready to go after a bit of required maintenance.

“There have been no changes to our expectations for the 2024 installation season,” Slayton said in a text message.

Read the full article at the Daily Press