Four of the eight tracts that were offered received bids. Only two companies participated, and the amounts were a fraction of the bids submitted for just two leases at the last Central Atlantic sale.
Archive for the ‘Offshore Wind’ Category
Gulf of Maine wind lease sale results
Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged Avangrid, BOEM, Gulf of Maine, Invenergy, results, wind lease sale on October 29, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Today’s Gulf of Maine offering may be the last wind sale for some time.
Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged 5 year leasing plan, BOEM, Gulf of Maine, Inflation Reduction Act, last sale, offshore wind lease sale, ruling against offshore oil and gas leasing on October 29, 2024| 2 Comments »
Gulf of Maine Final Lease Areas, Acres, and Assigned Region
| Lease Area ID | Total Acres | Developable Acres |
| OCS-A 0562 | 97,854 | 97,854 |
| OCS-A 0563 | 105,682 | 105,682 |
| OCS-A 0564 | 98,565 | 93,756 |
| OCS-A 0565 | 103,191 | 103,191 |
| OCS-A 0566 | 96,075 | 96,075 |
| OCS-A 0567 | 117,780 | 113,208 |
| OCS-A 0568 | 124,897 | 116,363 |
| OCS-A 0569 | 106,038 | 101,757 |
| Total | 850,082 | 827,886 |
| Average | 106,260 | 103,486 |
Today’s Gulf of Maine sale will likely be the last wind lease sale for at least a year.
Per a provision in the “Inflation Reduction Act,” no offshore wind leases may be issued after 12/20/2024, the one year anniversary of the last oil and gas lease sale (no. 261).
Perhaps as a result of the legislative restriction, their desire to maximize wind leasing, and their plan to hold the fewest oil and gas lease sales in the history of the OCS program, BOEM front-loaded the 5 year wind leasing plan to include 4 sales from Aug. – Sept. 2024 (see schedule below). However, contrary to plan, the Gulf of Mexico sale was cancelled for lack of interest and the Oregon sale was cancelled at the request of the Governor in response to tribal and coastal county opposition.
The date of the next oil and gas lease sale is anyone’s guess. Next week’s elections are, of course, the elephant in the room. However, there is also an enormous ruling by a Federal judge in Maryland that would halt the issuance of Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leases and the approval of operating plans effective Dec. 20, 2024. Ironically (or perhaps not?), this is the same date after which no wind leases may be issued absent an oil and gas lease sale.
Chevron and industry trade associations have appealed Judge Boardman’s ruling. (Given the enormous implications of that ruling on current and future Gulf of Mexico production, I’m curious as to why Chevron is the only major producer that is a party in this appeal. Chevron was also the only producer that was a party in the litigation overturning the restrictive Sale 261 lease sale provisions. I’m assuming there is some legal or tactical reason for the absence of participation by Shell, bp, and Oxy?)
Finally, given the legislation linking future wind sales with oil and gas sales, are the Sierra Club et al, the plaintiffs in this case, comfortable with Judge Boardman’s decision? Perhaps they are okay with the judge’s ruling given the absence of any planned Atlantic wind leasing until 2026?
NJ poll finds that offshore wind is not a high priority
Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged Cape May County, coastal residents, decline in support, full results, New Jersey, offshore wind poll, Stockton Univ. on October 28, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Attached are the full results of a Stockton University poll that assessed New Jersey voters’ support for offshore wind development. Stockton’s methodology is explained on the last page of the attachment (also pasted below).
Observations:
- The poll does not appear to be agenda driven, either for or against offshore wind development.
- The sharp decline in public support (first slide below) was contrary to the advocacy flow in that it occurred during a period of strong and persistent State and Federal promotion of offshore wind energy.
- More than half of the respondents were from North Jersey, the region that is more closely aligned politically with the Governor and the Federal Administration. Only 16% of the respondents were from South Jersey where opposition to offshore wind projects is the strongest. The imbalance is understandable in that it is consistent with the regional imbalance in population.
- Unsurprisingly, support for offshore wind is lowest in coastal counties. In that regard, more granularity would have been nice. Cape May County is the US epicenter of resistance to offshore wind development and is engaged in litigation with the Federal government over the Ocean Wind 1 project. Polling specific to Cape May and each of the other coastal counties would be beneficial.
- The polling data suggest that offshore wind projects are not a priority for most New Jersey voters. Only 24% of both coastal and non-coastal residents view offshore wind as a major priority (third slide below).
Methodology
The poll of New Jersey registered voters was conducted by the Stockton Polling Institute of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy from Oct. 10-14, 2024. Stockton University students texted cell phones with invitations to take the survey online and Opinion Services supplemented the dialing portion of the fieldwork, which consisted of cell and landline telephone calls. Overall, 91% of interviews were conducted on cell phones and 9% on landline phones. In terms of mode, 65% were reached via dialing and 35% were reached via text-to-web. A random sample of 616 New Jersey registered voters were interviewed. Both cell and landline samples consisted of random digit dialing (RDD) and voter list sample from MSG. Data are weighted based on U.S.Census Bureau ACS 2023 data for the citizen voting age population in New Jersey on variables ofage, race, education level, and sex. The poll’s margin of error is +/- 3.9 percentage points at a95% confidence level. MOE is higher for subsets. Sampling error does not account for other potential sources of bias in polls such as measurement error or non-response.
Preservation Society of Newport County asks court to vacate Revolution Wind approvals and permits
Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged BOEM, historic landmarks, Newport Cliff Walk, Newport cottages, Preservation Society of Newport County, Revolution Wind, Southeast LIghthouse Foundation on October 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »
“Defendant Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”), acting as lead federal agency, violated federal law when it approved an industrial-scale energy project known as Revolution Wind. BOEM approved this project without considering its adverse effects on National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) and other historic properties within one of the most historically and culturally significant communities in the country. BOEM also failed to take a “hard look” at Revolution Wind’s impacts on the environment, leaving unanswered questions even though the law required BOEM to inform the public about the project’s environmental benefits and costs.“
Those who have visited the Newport Cliff Walk and historic “cottages” are likely to appreciate the concerns of the Preservation Society. Their court filing is attached.
Amicus brief filed by Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head in support of Nantucket Residents Against Turbines
Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged Ack for Whales, Aquinnah Wampanoag, SCOTUS on October 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The attached brief was filed in the Supreme Court today by the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head in support of the Nantucket group ACK for Whales petition that was previously posted.
Vineyard Wind status: BSEE statement vs. GE Vernova’s spin
Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged BSEE, GE Vernova, investigation, risk analysis, turbine blade failure, Vineyard Wind on October 24, 2024| 2 Comments »
Comparing the above BSEE statement with recent GE Venova (GE) statements:
- BSEE: Vineyard Wind is still prohibited from installing blades, producing power or conducting any activity on the damaged A-38 turbine.
- GE: We are “really now getting to a point of shifting back to execution out at sea.” (Not at all what BSEE said.)
- BSEE: BSEE may permit other specific activities after a risk analysis has been performed and mitigations adopted.
- GE: We were “granted approval to return to installing new blades on turbines at the project once stringent safety and operational conditions are met.” (Positive spin of the BSEE statement implying that approval is assured.)
- BSEE: Root cause analysis of the blade failure has not yet been provided to BSEE.
- GE: “We have finalized root cause analysis and confirm the blade at issue at Vineyard Wind was caused by a manufacturing deviation from our factory in Canada.” (Then why doesn’t BSEE have the analysis? Is the Canadian plant being scapegoated?)
- BSEE: No timetable for completion of BSEE investigation (This could present a dilemma for BSEE. How do you allow the resumption of blade installation and power generation before the investigation has been completed? Will the report be held until the Harris or Trump administration gives the go-ahead?)
Finally, as expected, we can now conclude that the blades being shipped from New Bedford to France were defective.
Vineyard Wind will be replacing turbine blades!
Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged GE Vernova, Nantucket Current, turbine blade failure, Vineyard Wind on October 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Hywind turbine maintenance completed; Equinor declares victory. California time frame?
Posted in California, Norway, Offshore Wind, UK, tagged California, Equinor, floating turbines, Hywind, North Sea, Norway, Scotland on October 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »
Equinor reports that all 5 Hywind turbines have been returned to service after being towed to Norway as part of a 4-month maintenance campaign.
Even though the turbines had only been in operation since 2017, Equinor puts a positive spin on the 4-month maintenance outage, declaring total victory:
“The successful completion of the maintenance campaign on Hywind Scotland is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our teams and partners. As the world’s first floating offshore wind farm, Hywind Scotland has demonstrated the immense potential of floating wind. Through this maintenance campaign, we’ve gained valuable insights that will help us refine maintenance practices and optimise this technology for the future. By sharing our learnings, we aim to contribute to the growth and development of the floating wind industry.”
Some of the folks in Scotland have a different take as evidenced in this video:
Meanwhile, the turbines planned for offshore Central California will also have to be towed to shore for major maintenance. Nearby harbor areas like Morro Bay (pictured below) would be overwhelmed by the large structures and the maintenance and repair operations. Central Coast residents are not enamored with “another attempt to industrialize the coast.” Towing the towers to LA/Long Beach, albeit rather distant from the leases, would seem to be the preferred option for such work.
Looking forward, the first power generation from floating wind turbines on the Central Coast is forecast for 2034. Betters may want to take the over!
BSEE letter to Vineyard Wind: shut-in order remains in effect, environmental damage study required
Posted in accidents, Offshore Wind, tagged BSEE, debris, environmental study, FOIA, shut-in order, turbine blade failure, Vineyard Wind on October 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The attached letter was obtained by the Nantucket Current through a FOIA request. Key points:
- Vineyard Wind power generation and blade installation suspension order remains in effect.
- Vineyard Wind directed to conduct a site-specific study that evaluates the environmental harm and other potential damage from the blade failure, and to identify potential mitigation measures.
- Vineyard Wind was required to submit a plan for the study by Oct. 11. It’s not clear whether the plan was submitted.
- The study must include a mass balance of unrecovered debris material based on the weight of debris recovered and the weight of the subsea debris retrieved.
Comments:
- The study requirement is appropriate given the significance of the blade incident and the implications for offshore wind development.
- Why was a FOIA request needed to learn about the study requirement?
- What about the 6 turbine blades being returned to France? Were they defective?
6 turbine blades are on the Rolldock Sun en route to France
Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged Anastasia Lennon, Cherbourg France, GE Vernova, New Bedford Light, Rolldock Sun, Vineyard Wind on October 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »
The author of the New Bedford Light article about turbine blades being transported from New Bedford to Cherbourg posted (below) that there are six blades on the vessel.
It looks like she may get some help from French journalists who have picked up on this story. The Rolldock Sun is scheduled to arrive in Cherbourg on Oct. 16.
GE Vernova or Vineyard Wind could simplify things by explaining the shipment.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 