U.S. Offshore Wind Forecast: 45 Projects, $136B CapEx
offshore wind procurement targets and/or procured offshore wind capacity from developers operating federal offshore wind leases. Two Pacific coast states are also working through the process to establish offshore wind goals.But those with a long memory of U.S. wind will remember the false dawn of the Cape Wind project. Initially proposed in 2001, Cape Wind secured the first commercial offshore renewable energy lease in the United States in 2010. The project’s construction and operations plan (COP) was approved initially by federal authorities in 2010 and revisions further approved in 2014. However
The Emerging U.S. Offshore Wind Industry in a Post-COVID-19 World
more significant layer of uncertainty upon an already very complicated playing field. There are currently 15 active offshore wind projects in the planning stages which, if completed, could add approximately 25 gigawatts of electricity to the power grid.The State of PlayThings were hard enough already. Cape Wind, the United States’ first – and very ambitious – 130 turbine offshore wind project, died under its own weight after years-long delays caused its energy providers to end power supply contracts for the project in 2015. Indeed, just one project – the five-turbine (30 megawatt)
DNV GL Launches Renewables Certification Ops in U.S.
offshore wind projects in the U.S. by 2030. Much of this activity is taking place in the Northeast, with Massachusetts and New York setting aggressive targets and leading the way.The DNV GL U.S. operations will be managed by David Maloney, who first served as Certified Verification Agent (CVA) on the Cape Wind Project in 2012.“By establishing a presence for Renewables Certification in the U.S., DNV GL can be more responsive to the localized needs of the industry as it grows while drawing upon our thirty years of experience in offshore wind globally,” said Kim Mørk, Executive Vice president
Atlantic Offshore Wind: Favorable Winds for Maritime
devices. (84 Federal Register 18346-18381, April 30, 2019.) Delays in completing environmental reviews and compliance with species laws could hamper current wind farm progress. Developers Bring Money and Jobs to Local CommunitiesEuropean developers, who learned the hard lessons of Cape Wind and its NIMBY problems, have worked closely with states and communities to share the benefits of offshore wind.For example, Ørsted and Eversource committed $4.5M to Rhode Island, $3.5M of which will be used for higher education for OSW programs at the University of Rhode Island, and $1.5M
In Rhode Island, the Future is Blowing in the Wind
marine and avian patterns; wind and ocean currents and speed; a host of ecological and environmental concerns; supply chain issues; utility contracts and connection; financial commitments; and a veritable sea of state and federal regulations from seemingly all possible angles and agencies. Rival Cape Wind in Massachusetts, for example, is more than a decade into the process, and despite having won construction permits, must surmount legal challenges before it can start. And in Rhode Island, lawsuits have similarly forced Deepwater to ratchet back to 2014, the planned spring 2013 launch of its $250
SAMP Sets Standard for Ocean Mapping
has less to do with mapping than time, observes Spaulding. It not only provides other states with a time-saving model, it will save developers years of costly permitting work, and potential battles, he said, thereby cutting costs and speeding up the approval process. As a cautionary tale, he pointed to Cape Wind. “They spent $35 million to $40 million and no turbines moving. They ran into a whole series of issues related to siting.” Conversely, when Deepwater applied for its siting permit in Rhode Island waters, because it based its plan on the recommendation of the SAMP, “they didn&rsquo
UDEI Hosts Wind Energy Symposium
most urgent need that the group identified was to have continuous, publicly available, meteorological observations offshore along the East Coast to better understand the marine environment there and validate model results. Refurbishing the existing — but damaged — meteorological tower at Cape Wind, near Nantucket Sound, was the unanimously recommended first step. In addition, the researchers intend to address uncertainties in wind predictions, especially since wind forecasts are used for decision-making within electric utilities. Fulfilling these two needs, namely more offshore observations
US Offshore Wind Survey Contract for Fugro Atlantic
never been developed for energy purposes and there is little record of how installed structures have performed and only basic knowledge of the character of the seafloor and sub-surface is available. Fugro’s successful execution of detailed geotechnical and geophysical investigations for the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, which is set to be the first commercial-scale, offshore American wind farm, led to Fugro being selected to complete this important survey of the Virginia Wind Energy Area. Source: New Civil Engineer
February 2024
