Latest news with #BureauofOceanEnergyManagement
Business Wire
5 hours ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Green Oceans Report Reveals Systematic Non-Compliance in Offshore Wind Development
LITTLE COMPTON, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Green Oceans, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, today released its comprehensive report entitled, Cancelling Offshore Wind Leases. The report, by Planet A Strategies, analyzes the legal frameworks underlying federal agency decision-making for offshore wind (OSW) development in six offshore wind projects located in the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Wind Energy Areas (RI/MA WEAs), which encompass nearly a million acres of ocean territory on the outer coastal shelf. It outlines potential violations of statutory and regulatory requirements under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) and finds that the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) decisions to promulgate these contracts not only exceed its statutory authority but also violate procedural law to justify projects that are causing irreversible environmental, cultural, and economic consequences. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) decisions to promulgate these contracts violate procedural law to justify projects that are causing irreversible environmental, cultural, and economic consequences. Share 'This Report demonstrates that BOEM's review of these projects was fraught with omitted, misrepresented, and arguably false information regarding its ability to provide reliable electricity,' said Green Oceans President Lisa Quattrocki Knight. 'The projects also have significant adverse environmental, economic, and national security consequences. The Trump Administration has sufficient executive authority and reason to cancel the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Wind Energy Areas leases.' Critical data and legal criteria in the report reveal possible omissions or misrepresentations by OSW project developers and government decision-makers. This is shown by citing OCSLA provisions, environmental protection statutes, state obligations to serve, Federal Power Act electricity system reliability rules, and federal requirements from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These include misrepresentations about: Bulk transmission system reliability Actual installed capacity requirements for fully decarbonized electricity generation Actual amount of electricity generated by OSW operations versus ratepayer demand Illegal segment-by-segment lease issuance Encroachment on national security operations and training Dire economic impacts on maritime activities like fishing and navigation The North Atlantic right whale population resides in the RI/MA WEA. The region also encompasses one of the last remaining spawning grounds for Southern New England cod. Offshore wind development permitted by these leases could lead to the extinction of both species. Federal documents also confirm that offshore developments will compromise the East Coast's only Early Warning Radar system operated by Cape Cod Space Force Stations, underwater threat detection capabilities, military readiness, and Coast Guard search and rescue operations. BOEM's studies acknowledge long-term, major adverse and irreversible impacts on fishing and regional fisheries, and the historical and cultural resources of the Wampanoag Nation of Gay Head/Aquinnah. The Wampanoag Nation has inhabited Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island for more than 12,000 years. BOEM did not adequately consider the cumulative impact of all proposed development on the entire lease area, a legal requirement of their authority. The Green Oceans report aligns with the ongoing comprehensive federal review of wind leasing and permitting practices, as directed by the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025, and makes the case for immediate intervention overwhelming, both on legal and policy grounds. The six offshore wind projects referenced throughout this announcement are: Revolution Wind, Vineyard Wind, South Fork Wind, Sunrise Wind, SouthCoast Wind, and New England Wind. You may access the full report here: About Green Oceans Green Oceans is a nonprofit, non-partisan group of community members dedicated to the preservation and protection of our nation's marine ecosystems and coastal communities. For more information or to get involved, visit:
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New York's monstrous new wind farm threatens environmental disaster
Earlier this month, the Trump administration temporarily took the wind out of New York's green energy ambitions by halting the enormous Empire Wind project off the state's coast. Doug Burgum, the Interior Secretary, directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to cease all construction activities on the farm, citing rushed approvals and insufficient interagency consultation under the Biden administration. He also ordered a broader review of federal wind permitting practices for both existing and pending projects. Following blowback from New York politicians, however, the Interior Department has once again allowed the project to proceed. It was right the first time. As president Trump has observed, wind power is both ugly and noisy. These projects are also of dubious economic and environmental value, and have sparked a backlash among voters that their advocates have little answer to. The Empire Wind project, developed by Norwegian energy giant Equinor ASA, will be the first offshore wind farm to deliver electricity directly to New York City. Granted approval in November 2023, it was the sixth such project approved by the Biden administration as part of its goal to reach 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030. With a projected capacity of 810 megawatts and a gross book value of $2.5 billion, construction began last month with rock installations around the turbine bases. Some local residents have always opposed the Empire Wind project. Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, condemned it as 'the industrialisation of our ocean, rubber-stamped by federal agencies and delivered by a foreign-owned corporation under the guise of climate action'. She warned that the project involves dumping 3.2 billion pounds of rock into the ocean and pile-driving 180-foot monopoles into the seafloor – activities that she said could destroy marine habitats and threaten the fishing industry. Endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale could also be harmed, she added. Opposition to Empire Wind is not an isolated case. In Massachusetts, the Vineyard Wind 1 project – a 62-turbine wind energy plant off Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard – recently survived a Supreme Court challenge. Approved in 2021, it was the first large-scale offshore wind project in the US and is expected to deliver 800 megawatts of capacity. Construction began in 2022 with cable installation and continued in 2023 with turbine installation. It is on track to be completed this year but has faced a substantial backlash. The Nantucket-based ACK for Whales group has criticised the 'environmental damage caused by offshore wind projects like Vineyard Wind'. It added: 'for way too long the 'all of government approach' advancing offshore wind has been reckless'. Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, the Revolution Wind project is also facing hostility. The nonprofit Green Oceans has formally requested that the Environmental Protection Agency revoke the project's permits, citing a failure to consider emissions from potential blade failures. Despite this, construction continues. The SouthCoast Wind project, approved only recently, is one of the largest of them all. Spanning 127,388 acres and potentially costing $5 billion, it is claimed that it could produce up to 2.4 gigawatts of energy for Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Yet the environmental costs could be significant. The National Marine Fisheries Service has authorised the 'take' of marine mammals due to pile driving, unexploded ordnance detonation, and high-resolution geophysical surveys. The noise from pile-driving can exceed 225 underwater decibels – comparable to standing next to a Boeing 747 engine underwater – posing serious risks to marine life. The SouthCoast Wind Project's record of decision includes pages of comments from individuals citing safety risks, aesthetic concerns, and threats to whale populations. These voices are often drowned out by the political momentum behind green energy, but they deserve to be heard. Radar interference is another concern. According to a Government Accountability Office report, wind turbines could reduce radar performance. Offshore wind plants may also obstruct military exercises and vessel movement. The full extent of these effects remains unknown, but experts warn that turbine position, height, and spacing could have significant consequences. The UK is also seeing blowback on wind. Earlier this month, the Danish company Orsted pulled out of building Hornsea 4, a large wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire, due higher interest rates and increased supply chain costs. This should be a moment of reflection. Both the UK and Europe have embraced wind power as a pillar of their net-zero strategies, but opposition is beginning to surface. A similar phenomenon is happening in the United States, after the Biden administration's precipitous decision-making. States which require use of renewable energy tend to have higher prices than states that use fossil fuels and nuclear power. Offshore wind is noisy, and ugly, and it becomes less desirable when approached with transparency, scientific rigour, and respect for the ecosystems it affects. Rushing through approvals without rigorous oversight is not climate leadership – it's recklessness. Green energy must meet the same standards we demand of any major infrastructure project. Diana Furchtgott-Roth is the director of the Center for Energy, Climate and Environment at The Heritage Foundation Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'One of the biggest things I've seen here': Why a huge crane ship is in RI waters
PROVIDENCE – The SSCV Thialf is hard to miss. At 662 feet long and 473 feet high, it's the second-largest crane ship in the world. Since steaming into Narragansett Bay on May 26, it's been attracting a lot of attention, with chatter on social media and in boating circles about what a ship that stands taller than the Newport Bridge towers is doing here. 'It's certainly one of the biggest things I've seen here,' Jamestown Harbormaster Bart Totten said of the ship that's anchored in the waters between his town and Newport. The ship is being used in the construction of Empire Wind, the offshore wind farm off New York that has been in the news lately after the Trump administration abruptly issued a stop-work order for the project on April 16 and just as abruptly reversed course on May 19. Operated by Netherlands-based Heerema Marine Contractors, the Thialf departed Rotterdam on April 1, according to marine traffic maps, and crossed the Atlantic to start work on Empire Wind, which is expected to have 816 megawatts of capacity or enough power for 500,000 homes. When the stop-work order was issued, project developer Equinor said that construction of the wind farm was already 30% complete. It had to idle nearly a dozen vessels. The Thialf waited out the stoppage in Canada. With the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management clearing the way for construction to start up again, the Thialf arrived in the Bay on the afternoon of May 26. Because the waters there are sheltered and offer easy access to areas all around the Northeast, large ships often come in to wait out bad weather, pick up equipment or get ready for construction projects. When it was constructed in 1985, the Thialf, a semi-submersible crane vessel, was the largest ship of its kind in the world. It was eclipsed in 2019 when the SSCV Sleipnir, which is also operated by Heerema Marine Contractors, went into service. The Thialf is able to lift as much as 14,200 metric tons. In 2000, it set a world record at the time when it lifted the topsides, or upper portion, of Shell's Shearwater natural gas platform in the North Sea into place. It will use its cranes to install the monopile foundations that will be hammered into the seafloor to hold up Empire Wind's 54 wind turbines. It will also be used to put in place the latticework foundation for the offshore substation that will help send power to shore. The ship is finishing up its mobilization in the Bay, according to an Equinor spokesperson. Foundation pieces that were transported horizontally will be assembled vertically. Unionized construction laborers are being brought on board. And the Coast Guard is doing final safety checks. The ship is set to depart Rhode Island and head out to the project site about 15 miles south of Long Island by June 1, the spokesperson said. Foundation installation will start afterwards. This story has been updated with new information. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Giant crane ship SSCV Thialf waits in RI waters on the way to Empire Wind
20-05-2025
- Business
What to know about Empire Wind, the offshore wind project the Trump administration is allowing to move forward
The Trump administration has reversed a pause on construction of a massive offshore wind project off the coasts of New York and New Jersey. Work on Empire Wind, the wind farm being built 15 to 30 miles south of the coast of Long Island, can resume now that the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has lifted a stop-work order, according to Equinor, the Norweigian energy company developing the site. On April 16, Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction on the wind project. In a post to X, Burgum claimed that further review was needed and that the Biden administration "rushed through its approval without sufficient analysis." Construction was about 30% complete, and the project was fully permitted at the time the stop order was issued, according to the energy company. The stop-work order was lifted "following dialogue with regulators and federal, state, and city officials," according to Equinor. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Monday that it took "countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials" to emphasize the importance of the project, while Burgum posted to X that he was "encouraged by Governor Hochul's comments about her willingness to move forward on critical pipeline capacity," although Hochul did not mention natural gas in her statement. "New York's economic future is going to be powered by abundant, clean energy that helps our homes and businesses thrive. I fought to save clean energy jobs in New York — and we got it done," Hochul said. The continuation of the project will allow Equinor to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs, Anders Opeda, president and CEO of Equinor ASA, said in a statement. "I would like to thank President Trump for finding a solution that saves thousands of American jobs and provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the U.S.," Opeda said. "I am grateful to Governor Hochul for her constructive collaboration with the Trump Administration, without which we would not have been able to advance this project and secure energy for 500,000 homes in New York." Wind is the largest source of renewable energy in the U.S., accounting for about 10% of electricity generated in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. What to know about Empire Wind Norwegian energy company Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits to build Empire Wind, a project slated to power more than 500,000 homes in New York by 2026. The site will encompass 80,000 acres with up to 130 or more wind turbines, according to the company. The federal lease for Empire Wind was finalized during Trump's first term, in March 2017, AP reported. In February 2024, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved Equinor's operations and construction plan, and construction began later in the year. The project is expected to deliver "abundant, reliable and affordable" domestic power to the Northeast as it capitalizes on billions of dollars invested and years of preparation to date and load continues to grow, Eric Hines, director of Tufts University's Offshore Wind Graduate Program, told ABC News. "Moving forward on Empire Wind, New York and the United States are setting the stage for a new era of American manufacturing," Hines said. The decision to resume construction on Empire Wind "is incredibly important for New York State," especially since energy needs in the state are expected to double within the next 15 years, Lara Skinner, executive director of the Climate Jobs Institute at Cornell University's ILR School, told ABC News. "Offshore wind is particularly well-suited to New York because most of NY's electricity is consumed in NYC and it's difficult to get power into the city from upstate," Skinner said. "There is not sufficient transmission infrastructure. Offshore wind helps alleviate the problem by generating power near the point of consumption." The project has already created 1,500 jobs at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and was on track to provide another 1,000 good union jobs in the construction of the project, Skinner said. "Offshore wind is responsible for creating thousands of jobs across the U.S., powering homes with clean energy, and bolstering our nation's energy independence," Nancy Pyne, senior advisor for offshore wind at the Sierra Club, and environmental nonprofit, said in a statement. A rapid buildout of renewable energy sources, "especially offshore wind," will be required to achieve the greenhouse gas reductions required by New York's climate law, Rachel Spector, deputy managing attorney at environmental nonprofit Earthjustice, told ABC News. "The Empire Wind project will allow retirement of fossil fuel power plants that pollute the air, and in partnership with labor and community leaders it is supporting development of a staging and port facility that will further support the wind industry and create thousands of local jobs," Spector said. Trump's past criticism of wind turbines The reversal contradicts the critical stance Trump has been taking on wind power since his first term. In May 2024, Trump claimed during a rally in New Jersey that wind turbines "kill" whales, vowing to write an executive order on "Day 1" to end offshore wind projects. Trump kept that promise on Inauguration Day, when he signed an executive orde r that effectively paused the development of new offshore wind projects in the Outer Continental Shelf, withdrawing areas in the region from consideration for new and renewed leases. The White House cited "alleged legal deficiencies" in the leasing and permitting of onshore and offshore wind projects that could lead to "grave harm" such as negative impacts on navigational safety interests, transportation interests, national security interests, commercial interests and marine mammals. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has refuted claims that the noise from offshore wind turbines causes whale deaths. Earlier this month, attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration over an executive order signed on Inauguration Day that halted permits for wind projects. "This arbitrary and unnecessary directive threatens the loss of thousands of good-paying jobs and billions in investments, and it is delaying our transition away from the fossil fuels that harm our health and our planet," New York Attorney General Letitia James, lead of the coalition, said in a statement. In the lawsuit, the coalition of states argued that the blockade on all wind energy projects was unlawful and sought a preliminary injunction to immediately stop the administration from enforcing the freeze. "The attorneys general argue this unilateral halt on wind energy development is harming states' ability to provide reliable, affordable electricity to their residents," the statement read. In a statement to AP, the White House accused Democrats of " using lawfare to stop the president's popular energy agenda.
Fast Company
20-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Trump allows massive offshore wind farm to resume construction in New York—after initially forcing the project to stop
The Trump administration is allowing work on a major offshore wind project for New York to resume. The developer, the Norwegian energy company Equinor, said Monday it was told by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that a stop-work order has been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction to resume. Work has been paused since Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last month directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction and review the permits. Burgum said at the time that it appeared former President Joe Biden's administration had 'rushed through' the approvals. Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits and has spent more than $2.5 billion so far on a project that is one-third complete. Equinor President and CEO Anders Opedal thanked President Donald Trump for allowing the project to move forward, saving about 1,500 construction jobs and investments in U.S. energy infrastructure. He also expressed appreciation to New York's governor, New York City's mayor, members of Congress and labor groups, as well as Norwegian officials who worked to save the project. The Norwegian government owns a majority stake in Equinor. 'We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs,' Opedal said in a statement. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said it took countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials, and the involvement of labor and business interests, to emphasize the project's importance and get Empire Wind back on track. Equinor is building Empire Wind south of Long Island, New York, to provide power in 2026 for more than 500,000 New York homes. 'New York's economic future is going to be powered by abundant, clean energy that helps our homes and businesses thrive. I fought to save clean energy jobs in New York—and we got it done,' Hochul said in a statement Monday. The Interior Department did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Monday. Large offshore wind farms have been making electricity for three decades in Europe and, more recently, in Asia. But the industry has struggled to grow in the U.S. due to high costs, difficulties growing a supply chain for materials and the lengthy permitting process. Trump has prioritized fossil fuels and moved against renewable energy since returning to the White House. One of his first acts was ordering a pause of offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. But the administration's targeting of Empire Wind, a project already underway, took that a step further. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement Friday that while unleashing America's energy dominance, Trump 'paused certain wind projects that are detrimental to our beloved wildlife including birds and whales.' There are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While wind turbines can pose a risk to birds, wildlife conservation organizations say they support the responsible development of offshore wind because climate change is a bigger threat. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Monday that lifting the stop-work order is welcome news. Empire Wind will greatly benefit the economy on Long Island and the environment for all New Yorkers, he said in a statement. Offshore wind advocates also celebrated the decision. It's a win for workers, the industry and companies in places like Louisiana, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania, helping to build projects in the Northeast, the Oceantic Network said in a statement. Equinor said on May 9 it would be forced to abandon Empire Wind within days unless the administration relented on its order that stopped construction. Equinor was spending up to $50 million per week and had 11 vessels on standby. Equinor finalized the federal lease in March 2017, during Trump's first term. The federal government approved the construction and operations plan in February 2024. New York aims to obtain 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. New York is getting some wind power from the nation's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, a 12-turbine wind farm called South Fork that opened a year ago, operated by different companies east of Montauk Point, New York.
