Martha’s Vineyard

Fishing advocates propose four-mile transit lanes for offshore wind

Six four-mile-wide lanes would allow vessels transit through offshore wind power areas under a proposal by the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance. RODA image.

A coalition of commercial fishing groups is calling for four-mile-wide transit lanes through offshore wind turbine arrays off New England, as federal ocean planners and the Coast Guard consider maritime safety aspects of the projects.

In a Jan. 3 letter to those agencies, the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance proposed six vessel traffic lanes – each four nautical miles wide and up to 70 miles long – through wind turbine areas proposed by energy companies south of Martha’s Vineyard and...

https://www.workboat.com/news/offshore/fishing-advocates-propose-four-mile-transit-lanes-for-offshore-wind/

Ørsted hires Coast Guard waterways chief

Proposed vessel transit corridors (light blue) lanes through offshore wind energy areas off Massachusetts will be part of a draft Coast Guard plan expected in late 2019. Coast Guard image.

The former Coast Guard waterways management chief for New England has joined offshore wind energy company Ørsted, as the emerging U.S. industry comes to grips with pushback from commercial fishermen and other interests.

Ed LeBlanc, a former Coast Guard officer and most recently chief of the Waterways Management Division for Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, will be manager of marine affairs for Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind, the Denmark-based energy company’s American division.

In his last...

https://www.workboat.com/news/offshore/orsted-hires-coast-guard-waterways-chief/

BOEM extends, expands review of offshore wind project

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is extending its environmental review of the proposed 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind offshore wind project, and will expand its “cumulative impacts analysis” of other massive wind power plans for the East Coast.

The news Friday is another blow to Vineyard Wind’s plan for 84 turbines on its federal lease 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. The company had expected BOEM approval of a environmental impact statement by mid-July, and has warned earlier...

https://www.workboat.com/news/offshore/boem-extends-expands-review-of-offshore-wind-project/

New York signs biggest deal yet for offshore wind energy

New York state entered power agreements with offshore wind developers Equinor and Ørsted for a combined 1.7 gigawatts of power by 2024. NYSERDA image

New York state officials struck deals with two offshore wind energy developers to build 1,700 megawatts of capacity off Long Island, aiming to have turbines in operation by 2024 that could potentially power more than 1 million homes.

The projects would also bring 1,600 jobs and $3.2 billion in economic activity, according to state energy planners. Ørsted, one of the winners in the New York power agreement bidding, says its investments in the state will include training programs for new workers –...

https://www.workboat.com/news/offshore/new-york-signs-biggest-deal-yet-for-offshore-wind-energy/

New England offshore wind energy lease auction fetches $405 million

Offshore wind companies paid $405 million for leases (shown in orange) adjoining existing wind energy leases off New England. Image courtesy Business Network for Offshore Wind.

The biggest offshore wind energy lease auction to date brought in $405 million for three tracts off New England, in what federal officials call a signal of momentum for the budding U.S. industry.

“Wow. It’s the highest-grossing (wind power)  lease ever. We are truly blown away by this result,” said Walter Cruickshank, acting director of the federal Bureau of Offshore Energy, in a telephone press conference shortly after 32 rounds of bidding closed around 11:20 a.m. Friday.

Starting at 9 a.m. on...

https://www.workboat.com/news/offshore/new-england-offshore-wind-energy-lease-auction-fetches-405-million/