European firms exposed as Trump targets US offshore wind
U.S. President Donald Trump in his first day of office on Monday suspended new federal offshore wind leasing pending an environmental and economic review, saying wind mills are ugly, expensive and harm wildlife.Former President Joe Biden supported the offshore wind industry, setting a target for 30 gigawatts (GW) of projects by 2030, up from 42 megawatts at the end of 2023, prompting many European project developers to acquire leases and plan wind farms in the United States.Trump's executive order is not expected to stop existing U.S.
US NatGas Demand Could Hit Record High
U.S. spot natural gas and power prices soared to multi-year highs in several parts of the country with extreme cold expected to boost gas demand to a daily record high on Tuesday.Extreme weather has created havoc for power and gas markets in recent years as demand has come close to outpacing supply.In February 2021, a freeze in Texas killed more than 200 people and left millions without power, water and heat for days after extreme cold caused gas supplies to drop by freezing oil and gas infrastructure…
The demand for US natgas is expected to reach a record high on Tuesday
The U.S. demand for natural gas is expected to hit a record on Tuesday as the extreme cold that has affected much of America puts pressure on power grids, and certain oil and gas operations. Last week, the February natural gas contract reached its highest price since December 30, 2022. The cold weather that accompanied the weekend had the potential to reduce output due to the freezing of gas wells and pipelines. However, it also increased the use of fuel for heating homes and businesses. Prices rose in several hubs on the spot market with the U.S. Henry H Hub benchmark.
BOEM ID's Environmental Measures for NY Bight Wind
In support of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today issued a Record of Decision identifying environmental measures expected to be applied to future wind energy development of the six lease areas offshore New York and New Jersey in an area known as the New York Bight. BOEM estimates that full development of the six lease areas could generate up to 7 GW of offshore wind energy, enough to power up to two million homes.
Grid operator PJM faces a new complaint regarding power supply
Consumer advocacy group filed a complaint with PJM Interconnection. They claim that the U.S.'s largest grid operator unfairly awards record-high payments to power plants, driving up electricity prices for households and businesses. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission received a complaint on Monday, the second in recent times regarding PJM Interconnection’s capacity market auction for 2025-2026. This auction set prices that were over 800% higher than those of the previous year.
Public Service Enterprise Group exceeds Q3 profit expectations on the back of higher sales
Public Service Enterprise Group surpassed Wall Street expectations for the third quarter profit on Monday as the electric utility and gas utility benefitted from higher retail sales and growth in distribution margins.U.S. Electric firms are looking to increase customer bills in order to fund upgrades to the grid. This is due to extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes and storms, and an increased demand for industrial consumers, like data centers.Public Service…
US Governors push back against PJM following record-high prices for power plants
Five governors urged PJM Interconnection on Tuesday to change its process for determining the price of power plants, after the auction that saw record prices. Prices in the most recent PJM auction were almost 10 times higher than last year. This was largely due to a shrinking supply of electricity and an increasing demand for electricity. Prices were set at levels that raised concern about the cost of electricity for homes and businesses on PJM territory. Environmental groups filed a complaint to PJM over its pricing process.
Maguire: Slow rollout of charge points could stall US EV sales momentum
The United States has seen a 140% increase in electric vehicle sales since 2023. However, further growth could be hindered if public charging stations are not rolled out more evenly and at a slower pace. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. electric vehicle registrations will reach just over 3.5 millions by September 2024. This is up from 1.4m registrations in 2023 and represents the steepest growth rate ever in EV adoption in the country. AFDC data show that the number of public EV chargers has increased by just 22% in the same time period to 176 032 units.
Maguire: Slow rollout of charge points could stall US EV sales momentum
The United States has seen a 140% increase in electric vehicle sales since 2023. However, further growth could be hindered if public charging stations are not rolled out more evenly and at a slower pace. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. electric vehicle registrations will reach just over 3.5 millions by September 2024. This is up from 1.4m registrations in 2023 and represents the steepest growth rate ever in EV adoption in the country. AFDC data show that the number of public EV chargers has increased by just 22% in the same time period to 176 032 units.
Ecological Cable Protection in Long Island Sound
December 2020 marked the deployment of fifty 150-sq. ft. nature-inclusive ECOncrete Marine Mattresses, providing large-scale armoring and protection for the Northport to Norwalk Submarine Cable, a 24 mile underwater electrical transmission cable under contract by Eversource and the Long Island Power Authority." Photo courtesy ECOncrete Marine MattressesOperated by PSEG Long Island, as agent to LIPA, the cable runs along the bed of the Long Island Sound allowing electricity to be transmitted between Long Island and Connecticut.
Shell to Shut Its Convent, La. Refinery Amid Pandemic
Royal Dutch Shell said on Thursday it will shut down its refinery in Convent, Louisiana, the largest U.S. facility to close since the coronavirus pandemic first hit and devastated economic demand worldwide.The shutdown, to occur this month, comes after Shell failed to find a buyer.The refinery is the ninth in North America either to announce a shutdown or to be idled since the pandemic, which has delivered a heavy blow to fuel demand globally. The United States is the world's largest fuel consumer.Shell said it failed to find a buyer for the 211…
Offshore Wind Will Bring Jobs, Growth to New Jersey, Other Coastal States
NOIA President Erik Milito issued the following statement after New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced the creation of the nation's first purpose-built marshalling and manufacturing port dedicated to the offshore wind industry:"New Jersey is making a smart move by betting on offshore wind. A thriving and innovative American offshore wind sector is close, but we need to invest in improved ports and infrastructure to make it a reality. Expanded port and manufacturing facilities up and down the East Coast will bolster the construction bandwidth for offshore wind…
Reinauer Group Ramps Up for the Business of Offshore Wind
The promise of a vibrant U.S. offshore wind business has been long in the making. While questions remain on timing and pace, there is renewed confidence in the offshore wind sector, particularly in the northeast United States (global pandemic notwithstanding). Investment in the sector had escalated to start 2020, embodied best by Reinauer Group and its WindServe Marine unit, which when combined with its Senesco Marine boatbuilding and logistics hub give its an ‘ A-to-Z…
NY Congressman Backs Arthur Kill OWP
Congressman Max Rose has called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to support the offshore wind development at Arthur Kill Terminal, Staten Island, New York. "The offshore wind project at the Arthur Kill Terminal is an incredible opportunity to provide more reliable energy for New Yorkers, bring over $400 million in economic growth, and best of all, to do it on the back of good-paying union jobs," tweeted Max Rose.“The Arthur Kill Terminal is the most suitable site in New York for offshore wind development…
Oil Prices Climb on Hopes of Deeper OPEC+ Production Cuts
Oil prices edged higher on Thursday as investors focused on the possibility of deeper supply cuts from the world's biggest producers, whilst largely shrugging off reports which cut demand forecasts after the coronavirus outbreak in China, the biggest oil importer.Brent crude was up 32 cents, or 0.6%, at $56.11 a barrel by 10:52 a.m. ET (1552 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was up 14 cents at $51.31 a barrel.The energy complex was led higher by U.S. gasoline futures…
Ørsted, US Unis to Study Whales in OWP
Danish developer Orsted U.S. Offshore Wind has signed a research partnership with Rutgers University, the University of Rhode Island and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to support academic research activities related to offshore wind.The group is set to launch the Ecosystem and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (ECO-PAM) project.Ørsted signed an initial memorandum of understanding with Rutgers University in May 2019 to support academic research activities related to offshore wind.
NJ Governor Signs Offshore Wind Bill
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into legislation Bill, expanding the definition of a 'qualified offshore wind project'. This definition now includes an 'open access offshore wind transmission facility'.With the new legislation in place, developers seeking New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) approval as a qualified offshore wind project are required to include within its detailed description for the project any transmission facilities and interconnection…
Offshore Wind: Decisions Needed Sooner, not Later
On September 26, the State University of New York Maritime College hosted a conference on the emerging east coast offshore wind industry. “Offshore Wind Power, Planning for America’s Ocean Energy” focused on four fundamental topics:• East Coast Wind Farm Overview – Status of the Industry.• Jobs and Supply Chain Technical Working Group.• Wind Farm Port Development.• Offshore Wind Maritime Operations.In some ways, actually clocking in for a day’s work on an offshore wind turbine is tantalizingly close.
NJ Governor Doubles Offshore Wind Goal
As New Jersey steps up efforts to eliminate fossil fuels over the next three decades, the state is more than doubling its target for offshore-wind energy production under an executive order signed by Gov. Phil Murphy.The order would increase the goal to 7,500 megawatts by 2035, from 3,500 set for 2030.Murphy made the announcement with former Vice President Al Gore, a clean energy advocate, at a news conference in Jersey City at Liberty Science Center.The Executive Order will deliver the clean…
OP/ED: Offshore Wind
Set to Soar, Taking Offshore Support Industry With it.Offshore energy development is opening a new front in the United States -- the Atlantic seaboard, with strong winds, a shallow continental shelf and a proximity to dense population centers is driving strong interest in offshore wind development. The offshore oil and gas supply chain stands to benefit in a big way from billions in coming investment. In fact, it is already playing a role. Companies in the Gulf of Mexico…
