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Archive for the ‘climate’ Category

Offshore wind opponents feel betrayed by Empire Wind reversal

Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Wind, pipelines, Regulation, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

With victory in sight, the President pulled the ball away from his most ardent East Coast supporters.

Further thoughts on the reasons for the Empire Wind reversal:

  • Legal/regulatory: Although lease cancellation is not a reasonable option at this time, a pause for further review of the environmental and procedural issues is justified. During the previous Administration, the regulators seemed to function primarily as cheerleaders, as evidenced by the departures (examples here and here), the BOEM/NOAA strategy document, and the promotional tweets. Also, where is the long awaited report on the turbine blade failure? How do you proceed with development before that has been released for public review?
  • Norwegian govt intervention: Some would argue that Empire Wind was a bad investment by Equinor (2/3 govt owned) and it would have been better to take the losses and move on.
  • Trade unions: Concerns about the job losses are warranted, but the long term viability of the subsidy dependent offshore wind industry is in doubt, and important industries (e.g. fishing and tourism) may be negatively impacted. Other job losses could occur if offshore wind drives up electric prices and decreases grid reliability.
  • Pipeline deal: The regionally important Constitution natural gas pipeline is still very much in doubt despite reports of a deal with Governor Hochul. With or without her support, climate-ultras are driving NY/New England energy policy and will, at a minimum, stall this project. Fisheries Nation was particularly blunt in criticizing fishermen being “used as a poker chip” to gain tepid support for the pipeline project.

Following the reversal of the Empire Wind decision, Green Oceans, ACK for Whales, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, Protect Our Westport Waters, Save Greater Dowses Beach, Save Right Whales Coalition, and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head/Aquinnah petitioned Secretary Burgum to halt all wind construction in New England coastal waters and begin a “complete reevaluation” of their permits under applicable federal laws. In addition to right whale and tribal cultural resources concerns, the letter cited:

  • Critical habitat destruction impacting cod spawning grounds.
  • Inadequate response to turbine blade failures and environmental cleanup.
  • Severe adverse impacts on regional fisheries and economic displacement.
  • Compromised national defense radar and marine safety capabilities.
  • Misleading economic analyses that omit substantial regional job losses and increased electricity prices.

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We Spent £220 Billion on Decarbonisation and Saw Zero Financial Benefits: Kathryn Porter

Posted in climate, energy policy, UK, tagged , , , , on May 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Kathryn Porter is a well informed and articulate energy consultant. This video linked below is highly recommended.

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“Disaster, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind” ~ Richard Littlejohn

Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Wind, tagged , , on May 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »

UK Energy Minister Ed Miliaband

By Richard Littlejohn with apologies to Bob Dylan 😉

“How many pits must a man close down

Before we run out of coke?

How many North Sea oil rigs must shut

Before the UK goes broke?

Yes, and how many windmills must the countryside take

Before it’s beyond a sick joke?

Disaster, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

Disaster is blowin’ in the wind.

Yes, and how many more must be dumped on the dole

Before the worm starts to turn?

Yes, and how long will we go on importing foreign coal

As if we’ve got money to burn?

Yes, and how many times will the lights go out again

Before this madman will learn?

Disaster, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

Disaster is blowin’ in the wind.

Yes, and how much higher will our gas bills have to go

So Miliband can play superhero?

Yes, and while the economy goes up in flames

Mister Ed fiddles madly like Nero,

Yes, and how many old folk will die from the cold

In futile pursuit of Net Zero?

Disaster, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

Disaster is blowin’ in the wind.

And here is Miliband with his version (You can’t make this up! 😉):

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38 House members call for repeal of IRA subsidies

Posted in CCS, climate, energy policy, Uncategorized, tagged , , on May 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“Despite our previously unified stance, some Members of our conference now feel compelled to defend wind and biofuel credits, advocate for carbon capture and hydrogen subsidies, or protect solar and electric vehicle giveaways. Keeping even one of these subsidies opens the door to retaining all eight. How do we retain some of these credits and not operate in hypocrisy? The longstanding Republican position has been to allow the market to determine energy production. If every faction continues to defend their favored subsidies, we risk preserving the entire IRA because no clearly defined principle will dictate what is kept and what is culled.“

The full letter is attached.

IRA-Repeal-LetterDownload

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Iberian power outage – reverse Dunkelflaute?

Posted in climate, energy policy, Wind Energy, tagged , , , , , , on April 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Die Dunkelflaute or dark lulls have drawn attention to the need for dispatchable power (typically from gas turbines or coal-fired power plants) when the weather isn’t cooperating.

The massive power outage in Spain and Portugal on Monday may be the result of the opposite challenge – a surge in solar power supply greatly exceeding demand (dark line in chart below).

Note that no extreme weather events were reported in Spain on April 28, 2025. The Portuguese grid operator mentioned “extreme temperature variations” in Spain’s interior, possibly causing grid oscillations, but no storms or heatwaves were noted. Weather was typical for April, with mild temperatures (8-19°C) and some rain.

Meanwhile, the political focus in the US (chart below), and perhaps more so in Europe, had been on “clean” rather than reliable power.

Bottom line: Over-reliance on highly variable wind and solar power challenges grid management, putting supply reliability at risk.

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Natural gas for the win! 🏆

Posted in climate, energy policy, natural gas, Offshore Energy - General, tagged , , , , , , , on April 24, 2025| Leave a Comment »

All rankings are suspect, especially those I agree with 😉. The full scoreboard report is attached, so you can judge for yourself.

I was an early advocate for the use of natural gas in improving urban air quality. (I still have the ancient graduate school paper! 😀). This blog has repeatedly saluted natural gas and its compelling economic and environmental benefits.

Although combustion of natural gas emits 30% and 45% less CO2 than oil and coal respectively, the CO2 emissions are still significant. As a result, those who focus solely on greenhouse gases and ignore all other impacts (e.g. other air pollutants like NOx, SO2, and particulates, land use and space preemption, visual effects, and wildlife risks), want to limit the production and use of gas. However, whether or not fossil fuel consumption is significantly affecting the climate, the use for natural gas will be economically and environmentally imperative for the foreseeable future.

Not all natural gas production is equal from an environmental standpoint. Because this is an offshore energy blog, I draw your attention to the unique advantages of offshore gas production: minimal visual impact, bird friendly (rigs-to-roosts!), no risks to freshwater aquifers, and few land use issues.

Currently, most offshore gas production is in the form of oil-well gas (AKA associated or casing head gas). Offshore gas production is thus being primarily driven by oil demand, and is an added benefit from deepwater oil development.

Offshore gas-well or non-associated gas is largely the domain of independent operators producing in the shallower waters of the continental shelf. Non-associated gas has an added benefit in that there is little or no spill risk (depending on how dry the gas is). Shelf gas platforms also provide ecosystem benefits through their reef effect (rigs-to-reefs). Sustaining this non-associated gas production is therefore desirable from both energy and environmental standpoints.

Apr-25-ARC-ScorecardDownload

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Irrational exuberance revisited – the record breaking February 2022 Atlantic Wind sale

Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Wind, tagged , , , , , , , on April 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Bidding at the February 2022 Atlantic (NY/NJ) wind sale seemed incomprehensible given the economic and political uncertainties associated with offshore wind development.The 6 leases garnered bids ranging from $285 million to an astounding $1.1 billion, with total high bids of $4.37 billion! The Administration’s victory message correctly boasted that this was the “nation’s highest grossing competitive energy lease sale in history.”

The intense bidding was driven by the lure of subsidies, guaranteed power sales, unprecedented Federal and State promotion, peak climate activism, inattention to mounting public opposition, and irrational expectations regarding the role of offshore wind in powering the regional economy.

That wind bubble has since burst, as demonstrated by the lackluster (at best) August 2024 Atlantic sale, the disinterest in Gulf of America wind leases, and recognition of the costly realities of floating turbine projects in the Pacific. Any air that remained in the balloon was released following the Presidential election.

The table below summarizes the sale results and the current status for the 6 leases issued following the 2/2022 sale. One lease has been essentially terminated by the partners and the State. The other leases are in holding patterns in the planning phases.

high bidderlease #acresbid ($millions)status
Bluepoint Wind (EDP, ENGIE, Global Infrastructure Partners)053771,522765Site Assessment Plan (SAP) review
Attentive Energy
(Total and Corio Generation)		053884,332795Construction and Operations Plan (COP) review
Community Offshore Wind
(RWE, National Grid)		0539125,9641100no plans submitted
Atlantic Shores
(Shell, EDF)		054179,351780dead?
Invenergy
054283,976645no plans submitted
Vineyard Mid-Atlantic (Avangrid, Copenhagen Industy Partners)054443,056285COP review

The first US commercial offshore project, Vineyard Wind, has proven to be a major step backward for the wind industry. After being granted questionable financial and quality assurance waivers to reduce costs and “allow Vineyard Wind to adhere to its construction schedule,” the July 2024 turbine blade failure and subsequent lightning strike have raised new questions about the technology, industry, and regulatory regime. The report on the blade failure, which should arguably be a precursor to the resumption of Atlantic wind development, has yet to be released.

The one shining light, relatively speaking, for Atlantic wind development, has been Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind. That large project is on track to be completed at the end of 2026. Although the cost has risen about nine per cent, to $10.7 billion, that increase is understandable given the higher than anticipated costs for upgrading the onshore network.

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GAO seems to think more consultation and staff will resolve offshore wind issues

Posted in climate, energy policy, natural gas, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, Regulation, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The Government Accountability Office report on Offshore Wind Energy (full report attached) does a good job of summarizing the potential impacts from offshore wind development. They are categorized in the report as follows:

  • Marine Life and Ecosystems (see table pasted below)
  • Fishing Industry and Fisheries Management
  • Economic Development and Community Impacts
  • Tribal Resources, Including Sacred Sites and Established Fishing Grounds
  • Defense and Radar Systems
  • Maritime Navigation and Safety

Unfortunately, GAO’s recommendations, which focus on consultation and staffing (perennial favorites), are rather meaningless. Does GAO really think more consultation will resolve the fundamental concerns of the tribes and fishing industry? Does GAO really think increasing BOEM/BSEE staff is a solution? Wind was the signature offshore energy program of the previous Administration, and it was well resourced.

When the legislation authorizing offshore wind energy development was drafted, we envisioned energy alternatives that could complement thermal energy sources like gas, coal, and nuclear plants. Natural gas plants are particularly important to intermittent energy sources, because their power can be readily dispatched on demand.

Never did we expect attempts to ban the dispatchable energy sources on which renewable energy goals were dependent. Policies that limit gas production, transportation, and consumption don’t boost offshore wind development, they doom it.

In a rush to achieve the Administration’s energy goals, the wind leasing program brushed aside important economic, safety, national security, and environmental issues. Coastal residents, tribes, fishing interests, power customers, and other affected parties have rebelled. Their concerns won’t be smoothed over by increasing consultation.

So now the wind program is in a dark and windless place (a regulatory dunkelflaute?). Five projects are under construction or in the early stages of operation. Construction has been authorized for 6 other projects. Five more projects are in various stages of permitting. What next?

Meanwhile, we still haven’t seen a report on the ugly and embarrassing Vineyard Wind blade failure offshore Nantucket last July. Shouldn’t that report be a precursor to further offshore wind development in the US Atlantic? Also of note, that same turbine was struck by lightning 2 months ago.

Should directed suspension orders be issued pending a complete review of the wind program? If so, for which leases and for how long? Suspension of projects still in the permitting phase would be relatively painless and maybe even attractive given the current state of the wind industry. However, financial impacts for projects in the construction phase would be significant. These important next-step decisions need to be made soon. Muddling along is not a strategy.

Table 2: Examples of Potential Impacts of Offshore Wind Development to Marine Life and Ecosystems

ImpactDescription
Acoustic disturbanceConstruction and survey activities produce underwater noise that can disturb sensitive marine species. Offshore wind projects take measures to mitigate underwater noise, including the use of bubble curtains to dampen pile driving sound and pausing operations if protected species are sighted.
Changes to marine habitatInstallation of infrastructure, such as turbine foundations and transmission cables, introduces new structures and causes changes to the ocean floor that can alter marine habitat and affect the distribution, abundance, and composition of marine life in the area. These new structures can create artificial habitat that may benefit some species while displacing others and could affect bottom-dwelling species through disturbing the seabed. Artificial habitat effects of wind turbines are well documented, but research is ongoing to monitor and understand impacts on marine life.
Hydrodynamic effectsOperation of wind turbines can affect hydrodynamics and ocean processes such as currents and wind wakes, but little is known about regional effects of widescale deployment on ecosystems.
Vessel disturbanceVessels can disturb some species and pose strike risks to large marine animals, but the increase in offshore wind vessels is projected to be small compared to the total volume of vessel traffic. Offshore wind vessels are required to take measures such as following speed restrictions and employing protected species observers.
Entanglement riskStructures, such as mooring cables from floating wind turbines, could snag fishing gear and other marine debris and create entanglement risk to marine animals. Wind projects employ measures to minimize entanglement (e.g., mooring systems designed to detect entanglement), but there is uncertainty about the extent of the risk from floating turbines because of limited deployment.a
Collision risk to birds and batsTurbine blades pose a collision risk to some sea birds, but little is known about offshore collision risk to bats. Research on collision risks and mitigation measures (e.g., lighting and curtailment) is ongoing.
gao-25-106998Download

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Cato: “The False Economic Promises of Offshore Wind”

Posted in climate, energy policy, Offshore Wind, tagged , , , , , on April 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Analysis by Jonathan A. Lesser:

“Of all commercial renewable generation technologies, offshore wind is the costliest, far more so than solar photovoltaics and onshore wind. The newest incarnation of offshore wind—floating turbines that can be sited in deep water—are more expensive still. Although offshore wind is supposed to benefit from more prevalent ocean breezes, it remains, like land-based wind and solar power, an intermittent source of electricity. Hence, as offshore wind comprises a larger share of total electricity capacity, it requires ever more backup generation or storage to compensate.”

“Offshore wind’s high cost and intermittency raise a simple question: Why have renewable energy advocates and policymakers in many Atlantic Coast states, as well as those on the West Coast, placed such emphasis on this technology? One justification, like all forms of renewable energy, is that offshore wind will reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Whether that is true remains an open, empirical question. Offshore wind’s high costs, which require substantial—and increasing—taxpayer and ratepayer subsidies, will raise electricity rates and reduce electricity consumption. Even offshore wind manufacturers such as German-based Siemens Energy admit this. By itself, reduced electricity consumption may reduce greenhouse gas emissions slightly, as will offshore wind replacing lower-cost natural-gas-fired generation. However, any such reductions will be so small as to have no measurable effect on climate.“

Full article

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BOE energy news update

Posted in California, CCS, climate, energy policy, natural gas, Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on April 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Santa Ynez Unit items (thanks to John Smith for the links):

Cuts in carbon capture spending coming? These are cuts that both climate activists and skeptics can support.

In a peer reviewed paper, AI (Grok-3) debunks the man-made climate crisis narrative.

Doug Burgum: Hydraulic fracturing technology is “one of the reasons why the U.S. shale revolution is a miracle. But that miracle keeps on getting better and better. It’s the thing that has literally turned around the economy.” Posted here 15 years ago: Natural Gas Bonanza – Why Aren’t We Celebrating?

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