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Library filed under Offshore Wind from Massachusetts
Massachusetts and Rhode Island announce large offshore wind projects
Massachusetts and Rhode Island have announced offshore wind projects aimed at delivering a combined 1,200 megawatts of energy, enough to power 400,000 homes.
Two big wind farms to rise off coast of Martha’s Vineyard
The Vineyard Wind bid was awarded under a Massachusetts law that encourages utilities to get more of their power from clean energy sources. The Baker administration is overseeing a similar effort to increase hydroelectric power for Massachusetts and is working on a different plan by Avangrid to build a power line through Maine to import electricity from Canada.
Wind project off Vineyard could power hospitals
A health care provider with hospitals in Fall River, New Bedford and Wareham intends to buy offshore wind energy from one of three companies bidding for long-term contracts with the state’s three electricity distributors.
Offshore wind farms concern fisherpeople
Many fisherpeople see a future where segments of their industry will ultimately disappear unless the federal government ensures their concerns are taken into account in the construction and development of wind farms. Fisherpeople’s fears include the incompatibility of certain types of fishing gear with the clustered placement of wind turbines and a lack of site-specific research regarding economic and ecological impacts of the turbines.
Selection of offshore wind providers delayed 1 month
In a letter to the Department of Public Utilities on Monday, the team evaluating the bids for a long-term offshore wind energy generation contract said it needs the extra 30 days but still expects to submit a negotiated contract for state approval by July 31. The companies said meeting the April 23 deadline "has proven impossible as a result of factors outside the Distribution Companies' control."
Fishermen air concerns about Vineyard Wind
Looking to create a sea change in energy production in Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker signed “An Act to Promote Energy Diversity” with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2016. A key provision of the legislation mandated that utilities solicit long-term contracts with offshore wind farm developers, with the goal of adding 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind power by 2027.
Opponents say Block Island wind farms are causing problems across prime fishing grounds
“It’s true that the area where the turbines are have created habitat that attracts fish, which is good; but in the area where the cable lines extend to the mainland, it’s completely devoid of fish,” said Michael Pierdinock, chairman of the Massachusetts Recreational Alliance, which represents about 50,000 recreational fishermen. “These used to be fruitful fishing grounds.”
Building trust with fishermen is key for wind energy companies
There’s a lot of buzz in New Bedford these days about the offshore wind industry — and for good reason.
Vineyard Wind project sparks divisions
“I’m appalled that the state (and the town of Yarmouth) would consider a project that would damage this fragile watershed,” said Andrea Gottfried, a taxpayer in West Yarmouth. “Lewis Bay is historically, ecologically and economically important to Cape Cod residents and visitors from around the world.”
Barnstable wary of proposed Vineyard Wind project
Toxic transformer fluids could pollute drinking water if leaks occur at a substation where an offshore wind energy developer plans to connect to the region’s electric grid, according to an attorney for the town of Barnstable. “We haven’t seen the plans,” Charles McLaughlin said of Vineyard Wind’s plan to connect an underground transmission cable to an Eversource substation in Independence Park.
Offshore wind: Start big or small? Three firms vying for contract offer different approaches
The three firms vying to build the first major offshore wind farm in the United States filed their proposals on Wednesday with Massachusetts officials. Each of the firms kept their pricing a secret, so they publicly tried to differentiate their projects based on size, transmission approaches, construction timetables, and partnerships.
Three companies submit bids for offshore wind power
Three offshore wind energy developers bid Wednesday on contracts to sell electricity to Massachusetts power companies, taking the next big step in a process that could set turbines spinning south of Martha’s Vineyard within the next five years.
After 16 Years, Hopes for Cape Cod Wind Farm Float Away
One of its biggest problems was its location. Critics insisted that Mr. Gordon was putting his $2.6 billion project in the wrong spot. He wanted to plant 130 turbines in the shallow waters of Nantucket Sound, where they would have been protected by Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
What was once hailed as first U.S. offshore wind farm is no more
Cape Wind suffered a slow death. Efforts to develop the 468-megawatt offshore farm began in 2001 but came up against relentless opposition ...While Energy Management won several court battles, the project couldn’t survive the 2015 cancellation of contracts to sell its power to local utilities.
Cape Wind gives up its federal lease
“Cape Wind has confirmed to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that it has ceased development of its proposed offshore wind farm project in Nantucket Sound and has filed to terminate its offshore wind development lease that was issued in 2010,” according to a statement emailed to the Times by Cape Wind vice president Dennis Duffy.
Markey seeks to extend tax credits for offshore wind
The area along the coast of New England is considered the Saudi Arabia of offshore wind. However, the federal tax subsidy designed to jump-start production of ocean wind energy will soon be drying up.
Not exactly a breeze: Offshore wind still faces challenges
NEW BEDFORD — Amid all of the challenges that could face offshore wind power along the East Coast — legal disputes from commercial fishing advocates, construction plans altered by whale migrations, President Donald Trump’s emphasis on revitalizing fossil fuels and more — some promising news for renewable industry supporters arrived in mid-March.
Offshore wind firms split on size of initial contract
Big disagreement on whether bigger is better
Study: Wind Power fiercer than expected
The paper's main finding is that atmospheric conditions around Cape Wind are predominantly turbulent, or unstable ...between 40 and 80 percent of the time. ...When the atmosphere is unstable, it is similar to turbulence experienced by airline passengers during a flight — the wind is choppy and causes high winds from above and slow winds from below to crash into each other and mix together, causing a bumpy and unpredictable ride for the air current.