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Archive for the ‘Offshore Wind’ Category

Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 project questioned by US congressman and Norwegian investors

Posted in Norway, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, tagged , , , , , on April 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

A letter from Congressman Chris Smith (NJ) to Sec. Burgum is attached. Excerpt:

I am writing to advise you that Equinor, a Norwegian Energy multinational is planning to move forward with construction of its Empire Wind 1 project off the coast of New Jersey and New York as early as this April.
This is an alarming development and should not be allowed before the comprehensive review of offshore wind ordered by President Trump’s January 20th executive order is completed. The executive order states that the assessment is needed to review the many shortcomings of the Federal wind leasing process including, “potential inadequacies in various environmental reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act.”

Meanwhile, Norwegian investors have expressed dissatisfaction with Equinor’s renewable energy ventures. This Norwegian article raises concerns about Empire Wind 1, saying the project “could become a new industrial scandal.”

Based on the respective financial performance of oil producers, I think it’s fair to say that investors aren’t attracted to those companies because of their wind projects.

letter_from_us_rep_c_smith_to_interior_sec_burgum_re_empire_wind_3-26-2025Download

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Another Atlantic wind project “paused”

Posted in Offshore Wind, tagged , , , on March 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »

In this case, it’s a State of Maine research project for up to 12 floating turbines. This type of project is not viable without large subsidies which are apparently not forthcoming. See the Notice below.

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Atlantic wind: attention shifts to EPA

Posted in Offshore Wind, Regulation, tagged , , , , , , on March 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »

In February, EPA Region 2 asked the agency’s Environmental Appeals Board to remand Atlantic Shores’ air emissions permit back to the Region for reconsideration. That remand (attached) was granted on 14 March over the objections of Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind.

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind still exists despite the exit of 50% partner Shell and a $940 million write down by the remaining owner EDF. The diagram depicts Atlantic Shores South (0499) and North (0549) lease areas.

EDF intends “to preserve the company and its future development.” Whether or not they can hold the leases indefinitely without pursuing development remains to be seen. BOEM’s diligence regulations for offshore wind projects are vague, and neither the Construction and Operations Plans nor BOEM’s Record of Decision (Atlantic Shores South) include work schedules.

Does EDF have the right to sit on the lease until the financial and regulatory environment is attractive? That is not allowed for oil and gas leases, and rightfully so. (See a related post on Total’s wind lease.)

Meanwhile, ACK for Whales has petitioned EPA Region 1 to reopen and reanalyze the air permits for permits for the New England Wind 1 and 2 projects asserting that:

  • The analysis does account for emissions related to and resulting from blade failures, which would warrant emergency repairs or replacement activities.
  • The decision to group Vineyard Wind 1, New England Wind 1 and New England Wind 2, as a single stationary source is both legally questionable and could have the effect of masking localized emission spikes.
  • Insufficient consideration of cumulative vessel emissions could lead to 1-hour NO₂ exceedances.
  • The emissions from pile driving are not adequately modeled in isolation or synergistically.
Atlantic Shores Order Granting Motion for Voluntary Remand, FINALDownload

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GB Energy bravado may not comfort North Sea workers

Posted in energy policy, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, UK, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Juergen Maier, chairman of GB Energy, “a planned British government-owned renewable energy investment body,” is promising to revive Aberdeen with “green energy” jobs, and to create “something special for the years ahead.”

Maier: “Floating offshore wind, green hydrogen, and carbon capture should be as synonymous with Aberdeen’s future as oil and gas have been with its past.” This is an interesting comment given that the success of the industries he is promoting is far from assured; nor is the continuation of government edicts and subsidies on which they are dependent.

How many times have we been told that the government driven energy transition would create thousands of jobs? How many workers in economically important industries have been told to transition to politically favored professions? How many Keystone Pipeline workers found the promised “green energy jobs?” Why were coal miners condescendingly told to “learn to code?”

Perhaps Mr. Maier should broaden his message by showing support for development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields, and for sustaining production of oil and gas, on which the UK will be dependent for many years. As Louise Gilmour wisely opined in her column in the Scotsman:

“We need more of it because even the most ardent supporters of renewable energy, the most vocal proponents of net zero, quietly admit oil and, especially, gas will be needed for a couple of decades at least. That obvious truth, that inarguable necessity, is not, apparently, enough for ministers to encourage UK production, however, or temper their rhetoric around renewables.“

“Allowing our rigs and refineries to power down and relying on other countries to keep the lights on still seems a little, well, counter-intuitive. We will import oil and gas but not produce it while happily exporting contracts, skills and jobs overseas? The practical impact of Labour’s refusal to grant new exploration licences in the North Sea might remain unclear but the message it sent was absolutely crystal.“

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Irish Sea wind theft? Wake losses threaten offshore wind sector

Posted in energy policy, Offshore Wind, Regulation, tagged , , , , , , on March 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Orsted photo: wind wakes trailing turbines at Vattenfall’s Horns Rev wind farm offshore Denmark

The oil industry has a long history of dealing with the correlative rights issues associated with oil drainage from competitive reservoirs. Similar issues are arising in the offshore wind industry.

Orsted believes ‘catastrophic wake losses’ threaten the existence of their Irish Sea wind farms, claiming that wakes from EnBW, BP, and RWE projects could shorten the life of Orsted’s assets. Note that wind wakes can stretch as far as 100 km.

Orsted claims that four nearby wind farms in the Irish Sea could result in a drop in Orsted’s annual energy production of up to 5.34%, and is seeking mitigation or compensation.

This is all rather familiar to the oil industry and its regulators, particularly the call for compensation!

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BSEE: Lightning protection system was not operational on Vineyard Wind turbine

Posted in accidents, Offshore Wind, tagged , , , , , on March 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

BSEE statement:

BSEE’s report on the initial (7/13/2024) blade failure has still not been released.

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“Groundhog Day” on Nantucket?

Posted in accidents, Offshore Wind, tagged , , , , on March 5, 2025| 1 Comment »

The same Vineyard Wind turbine blade that failed last summer has now been struck by lightning:

“Lightning struck the fractured stub of Vineyard Wind’s broken turbine blade in the early morning hours on Friday (2/27), according to representatives from Vineyard Wind and the Coast Guard. It was the remnants of the broken blade that snapped this July that were still attached to the turbine.”

“It appears the town (Nantucket) was not informed of the lightning strike by Vineyard Wind until it received media inquiries about it, over 48 hours after it happened.”

More on the Vineyard Wind saga.

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BOEM rescinds controversial Rice’s Whale requirements

Posted in Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, Offshore Wind, tagged , , , , , , on February 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Although Rice’s Whale lease stipulations were deleted from Sale 261 leases by court order, similar NTL restrictions remained in effect for all oil and gas operations in the Gulf of America. Those NTL restrictions, some of which may be excessive and premature, have now been rescinded.

A previous post compared the Rice’s Whale restrictions applicable to Gulf oil and gas operations with the less onerous Right Whale restrictions for the Atlantic wind industry.

Of course, this is not the end of the Rice’s Whale dispute. A Federal judge in Maryland has ordered the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) to prepare a new biological opinion that better protects the Rice’s whale. The deadline for the new biological opinion was extended to May 21, 2025. After that date, no new Gulf leases may be issued and no new operating plans may be approved pending a new biological opinion that is acceptable to the Court.

Stay tuned.

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Letter requesting the withdraw of wind project permits

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

Groups and individuals opposing Atlantic wind projects sent the attached letter to Interior Secretary Doug Bergum asking for the withdraw of wind permits.

The groups cite serious problems with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Letters of Authorization (LOA) for Incidental Take of endangered and threatened species. The LOAs authorized cumulative Takes of 548 individuals from a population of around 338.

The groups’ “no list” (project analysis deficiencies):

  • No EIS for the NMFS Incidental Take Authorization
  • No consideration of the impact of harassment in the Biological Opinion including cumulative impacts
  • No harassment authorization for the turbine installation ship
  • No consideration of using suction caissons instead of pile driving
  • No consideration of sediment plumes from ocean currents flowing through wind facilities
  • No assessment of a project’s contribution to the overall effects of multiple wind projects
  • No consideration of continuous operating noise
  • No consideration of physical presence-based harassment
CFACT-Letter-to-Secretary-Burgum-1Download

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Nantucket Board is not pleased

Posted in energy policy, Offshore Wind, tagged , , , , on February 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“Nantucket LIghts” – view of turbines from the south shore

From the Nantucket Current on X.

We “feel misled” Nantucket Select Board member Dawn Hill Holdgate gives State Rep Thomas Moakley and State Sen. Julian Cyr an earful on Vineyard Wind.

“We as a board, and the community at large even more vehemently, really feel misled by the representations we were given back in 2020…”

“The visual simulations we were given were not accurate.”

“The promises on the lighting, they have been fully lit for quite a long time now. That never should have happened.”

“The safety and the environmental impacts on the sea life are just far greater than the information we were provided when we were offered a financial settlement based on just the visual impact on our historic landmark, which is far more impactful than the simulations we were shown.”

Blade replacement update: “They’ve removed four complete sets to date,” Nantucket Select Board chair Brooke Mohr said tonight. That would mean 12 of the 66 compromised blades Vineyard Wind is required to remove have been taken down.

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