First Steel Cut for HVAC Infrastructure for Belgian Offshore Energy Hub
government’s recent decision to develop an alternative approach for the HVDC components will ensure that we can maintain the strategic ambition of the project in a more cost-effective way,” said Frédéric Dunon, CEO of Elia Transmission Belgium.On June 6, 2025, the Belgian federal government announced that an alternative approach for the next phase of the Princess Elisabeth offshore energy hub would be developed.While aligned with the project’s original goals, the updated approach will be aimed at reducing the costs involved by responding to the sharp global increase in the
Trump to Wind Down FEMA After Hurricane Season
Noem said that FEMA "fundamentally needs to go away as it exists" and that governors were being encouraged to work together to respond to disasters."We're building communication and mutual aid agreements among states ... so that they can stand on their own two feet with the federal government coming in in catastrophic circumstances with funding," Noem said.FEMA is part of the Department of Homeland Security.(Reuters - Reporting by Nathan Layne in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis
Belgian Energy Island in North Sea Starts Taking Shape (Video)
decades. In the longer term, the project also offers opportunities to integrate Belgium into a unified European electricity grid at sea. The Princess Elisabeth Island is one of the flagship projects of the Federal Development Plan for the Belgian high-voltage network, which was approved by the federal government in 2023.The construction of the island and the implementation of the already signed alternating current (HVAC) contracts are continuing without interruption. Two of the three future offshore wind farms - or 60% of the new Princess Elisabeth Wind Zone – will thus be completed.Due
Trump Moves to More Easily Fire NOAA, DOE Employees
the DOE have also been notified that they will be reclassified, according to another source familiar with the situation.A NOAA spokesperson said the agency does not discuss personnel matters, while the DOE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Most of the 2.2 million employees of the federal government are hired to career positions that are not tied to specific administrations, and can only be fired for cause.Trump on January 20 signed an executive order creating the new "schedule policy/career" category of federal employees, who could be fired at will. The executive order pointed
White House Could Bypass UN on Deep-Sea Mining
to do with efforts to reduce China's broad control over their production and processing, with Beijing beginning to block exports of key minerals used in defense applications.It was not immediately clear what kind of staffing NOAA would require to review deep-sea mining permits. Like many U.S. federal government agencies, NOAA has seen job cuts as part of Trump's efficiency push with Elon Musk.Deep-sea mining is also more technically complex than mining on land given the distance from shore, among other factors.In a visit last week with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, U.S. Secretary of
Xodus Delivers Jobs Guide for Australia’s Marinus Link Interconnector
drilling (HDD). By outlining workforce requirements at this early stage, the easily accessible guide will assist both Marinus Link and its subcontractors in planning for the project’s needs,” said Lara Taylor, Lead Renewables Consultant, Xodus.Marinus Link is jointly owned by the Federal government (49%), Tasmanian state government (17.7%) and Victorian (33.3%) state government
OPINION: Save a Nickel, Kill a Thousand - The Pennies-Wise, Lives-Foolish Effort to Eliminate NOAA
I know how to reduce the federal budget by $7B, if we are willing to kill a few thousand Americans every year, put our economy further into debt, and guarantee the loss of real property around the country.It can also be done without eliminating many services currently provided by the federal government, except you’ll just have to pay hefty user fees (assuming you’re actually allowed access) to a private company to get those services. And this all assumes that someone is also willing to absorb the capital expenses associated with operating their own air force, navy, and space force
Woodside Accused of Greenwashing Over CCS Plans
Reef would put already endangered species like the green sea turtle, pygmy blue whale and the dusky sea snake at serious risk. This wildlife needs urgent protection, not more destruction and pollution in the places they call home.”Documents uncovered under FOI by Greenpeace show that the federal government has already warned Woodside of numerous environmental risks from its plans including CO2 toxicity, risks of earthquakes, risks of leakage and marine impacts of ongoing seismic blasting.Geoff Bice, WA Campaign Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said CCS is an expensive distraction that fossil
US Releases New Strategies to Advance Sustainable Ocean Management
Plan (OCAP), the first-ever comprehensive national strategy to harness the power of the ocean and coasts to address and respond to the climate crisis, and the Ocean Justice Strategy, which identifies barriers and opportunities to fully integrate environmental justice principles into the federal government’s ocean activities. Since its release, federal agencies have advanced ocean actions across the government to accelerate nature-based solutions and enhance community resilience to changes in the ocean environment, including ones driven by climate change
February 2025
