Tag Archives: Offshore wind

NY Court Upholds NY Public Service Commission’s Grant of Permit to South Fork Wind

Offshore wind farmLast week, actions by the Second Department of the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division set the tone for offshore wind development in New York by denying a challenge brought by local opponents to the NY Public Service Commission’s (“NYPSC”) grant of a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (“CECPN”) for the transmission line needed to interconnect New York State’s first offshore wind project, South Fork Wind,… More

New England states unite to build new offshore wind HVDC transmission, seek DOE funding

Four New England States – Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island – recently submitted a concept paper to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposing to build up to three new high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines and related onshore system upgrades to support the injection of new offshore wind resources in New England.

Onshore and offshore transmission constraints are a major barrier to the successful deployment of large-scale offshore wind along the Atlantic coast.… More

Maine Signals Readiness for Commercial-Scale Floating Offshore Wind

The State of Maine recently published the final version of its Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap, sending a strong market signal that the state is increasingly ready for commercial-scale floating offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine. The Roadmap, which I first wrote about in November, makes a series of recommendations to advance commercial scale-floating offshore wind in Maine, including that the state establish an offshore wind procurement target and strategy (“coordinated regionally to achieve cost effective deployment”) prior to BOEM’s lease sale in the Gulf of Maine,… More

BOEM Announces Provisional Winners of $757.1 million California Offshore Wind Lease Auction

Earlier today, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced provisional winners of its offshore wind energy lease sale for five areas on the Outer Continental Shelf off central and northern California. This auction represents the first offshore wind lease sale on the west coast and the first sale to support potential commercial scale floating offshore wind technology. Auction winners included some expected names and some new market entrants.

The 31-round auction,… More

Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap Expected in Early 2023; Here’s Why the OSW Industry Should Take Note

The State of Maine is expected to release the Maine Offshore Wind Roadmap in early 2023, and the global offshore wind industry should be watching. Preliminary details from the state’s roadmap—the focus of this post—clearly indicate that Maine is preparing to seize the significant opportunity presented by the Gulf of Maine offshore wind resource.

Maine’s offshore wind energy potential is ranked seventh in the nation, with more than 411 TWh/yr of offshore resource-generating potential.… More

BOEM and NOAA Fisheries Release Draft Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy, Request Public Comment

Late last week, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries division released a draft joint strategy that addresses North Atlantic Right Whales and offshore wind. The deadline to submit public comment on the draft strategy is December 2, 2022.

According to the notice for public comment, the draft strategy:

“does not define new policy or regulatory actions;… More

Massachusetts Passes Climate Bill Focused on Clean Energy and Offshore Wind

Governor Baker signed the climate bill (H.5060), titled An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, into law on Thursday August 11, 2022. The act combines and modifies provisions from the House’s proposed offshore wind bill (H.4524) and the Senate’s proposed omnibus climate bill (S.2819). The legislation covers a wide range of policy changes focused on electrifying vehicles and transit, reducing fossil fuel connections in new construction,… More

Inflation Reduction Act Establishes Federal Green Bank, Expands OSW Leasing, Reforms Energy Project Permitting

On August 7, 2022 the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act – a sweeping piece of budget reconciliation legislation that touches on everything from energy and climate to Medicaid prescription prices.  Germane to the energy and climate sector, the Act includes $369 billion for spending on “energy security and climate change” over the next ten years and an additional $250 billion in additional authority for the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office. … More

NYSERDA Previews Sweeping Updates to Forthcoming Large-Scale Renewables REC Solicitation

On July 7, 2022, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) released two detailed Requests for Information (RFI) that preview sweeping updates to its large-scale renewable energy certificate (REC) purchase and sale programs. The changes reflect both NYSERDA’s efforts to keep up with changes in applicable law and fast-evolving market rules and its continuing endeavor to increase the maturity of projects proposed. Turnaround for responses to the RFIs is fast – NYSERDA seeks replies from stakeholders by July 28 at 3 PM.… More