US Closes $861 Million Loan Guarantee for Solar, Energy Storage in Puerto Rico
The U.S. Energy Department announced on Tuesday that it had closed a $861 million loan to finance the construction in Puerto Rico of two photovoltaic solar farms and two batteries storage systems. Puerto Rico, an American territory, was hit by hurricanes over the past few years. People in remote mountain communities were left without electricity for almost a year following Hurricane Maria in 2017. Studies estimate that between 3,000 and 4,600 deaths occurred after Maria knocked the power out. Clean Flexible Energy LLC is the borrower, an indirect subsidiary AES and TotalEnergies Holdings USA.
OPINION: Drowning in Oil, Regulatory Measures to Keep Prices Afloat
These days history seems to be in the making on a daily basis. On April 20, 2020, the price of the NYMEX West Texas Intermediate Sweet Crude Oil (WTI) futures contract for May delivery plunged into the negative, forcing sellers to actually pay customers for taking the crude oil off the sellers’ hands. The historic drop came a little over a month after Russia and Saudi Arabia initiated crude oil price war, and it has left many wondering if certain regulatory measures are needed to help boost oil prices in the United States.
The Offshore Winds for Territories Act: Lifeline for U.S. Territories
NOIA President Randall Luthi issued the following statement after Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón re-introduced H.R. 1014, the Offshore Winds for Territories Act:"NOIA applauds Representative González Colón’s reintroduction of the Offshore Wind for Territories Act. This bill enables U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam to develop their rich wind resources and power new jobs and economic growth for their residents. There is a longstanding need to strengthen the energy security of the U.S.
Bunker Delivery Note Amendments Enter into Force
Amendments to the bunker delivery note relating to the supply of marine fuel oil to ships which have fitted alternative mechanisms to address sulphur emission requirements entered into force on 1 January 2019.According to a press release from International Maritime Organization (IMO), the amendment enters into force as the shipping industry counts down to 1 January 2020, when the limit for sulphur in fuel oil will be reduced to 0.50% m/m outside emission control areas (ECAs), from 3.5% currently.The new limit under IMO's MARPOL treaty will have significant benefits for the environment and human health.In ECAS…
NOIA Calls for Offshore Wind Territories Act
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) said that U.S. territories need the Offshore Wind for Territories Act.The U.S. has five permanently inhabited 'Territories' in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands which are directly overseen by the United States Federal Government.NOIA President Randall Luthi issued this statement: “The House passage of H.R. 6665 is welcome news for many Americans this holiday season. Too often, Americans in the U.S.
Carriage Ban Adopted to Implement Sulphur 2020 Limit
An amendment to support consistent implementation of the forthcoming 0.50% limit on sulphur in ships fuel oil was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Friday (26 October), during the current session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 73).The new 0.50% limit (reduced from 3.50% currently) on sulphur in ships' fuel oil will be in force from 1 January 2020, under IMO's MARPOL treaty, with benefits for the environment and human health.The complementary MARPOL amendment…
TOTE Touts 'LNG-as-Fuel' Experience
Build it and they will come mentality serves TOTE well on ‘world first’ LNG ContainershipsAs the marine industry collectively struggles to find solutions to the mounting mandates to cut emissions, U.S. owner TOTE, which broke ground three years ago with the world’s first LNG-fueled containership, has more than 36 months experience operating almost exclusively on LNG. To date it has been a rousing success.As environmental mandates for ships continue to get stricter, particularly with the new fuel rules and…
EPA Announces Funding to Reduce Diesel Emissions
Preference given to fleets in areas facing air quality challenges. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of grant funding to modernize the nation’s diesel fleet by retrofitting or replacing vehicles with cleaner, more efficient diesel engines. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $40 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) grant funding to eligible applicants, subject to the availability of funds. “These grants will incentivize improvements to aging diesel fleets and improve air quality throughout the country,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
Crowley, PowerSecure Partner on LNG Microgrids Development
Industry partners aim to develop and deploy microgrid solutions incorporating liquefied natural gas (LNG), renewables and storage to provide greater reliability and resiliency to customers and economies throughout the Caribbean and Central America.Microgrid solutions provided by partners Crowley FUELS and PowerSecure, a Southern Company subsidiary, will provide end users with quality, efficient, clean and resilient power. The Crowley/PowerSecure solutions alliance is focused on creating customer value on both sides of the meter while integrating with other grids where practicable for total system optimization.
Puerto Rico to Sell Crippled Power Utility PREPA
Puerto Rico said on Monday it would sell off its troubled power utility to the private sector, saying in a statement that the process to unload the indebted company could take roughly 18 months to complete. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) has yet to recover fully from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria, which in late September knocked out power to the entire island and left all 3.4 million residents of the U.S. territory in the dark. (Reporting by Daniel Bases; Editing by Leslie Adler)
William P. Doyle Appointed as DCA Executive Director & CEO
The Dredging Contactors of America’s (DCA) has selected the Honorable William P. Doyle, Sr. as its new Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). William Doyle currently serves as a Commissioner with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission having been unanimously confirmed twice by the U.S. Senate as a Presidential Appointee, and remained onboard with the Administration of President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Doyle served over a decade as an officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine as an engineer aboard numerous classes of vessels. He is a licensed attorney and marine engineer.
Jones Act Waiver for Puerto Rico Not Extended
The Jones Act waiver for Puerto Rico expired Sunday night and will not be extended, according to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. Homeland issued the waiver of the Jones Act on Sept. 28, after a request by Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello and pressure from lawmakers, including Senator John McCain and U.S. Representative Nydia Velázquez. Reporting by Stephanie Kelly
Buckeye Partners Resumes Operation in Puerto Rico
Buckeye Partners has resumed full operations at its oil terminal and storage tanks in Puerto Rico two weeks after it closed the facility ahead of Hurricane Maria, the company said on Tuesday. "Buckeye has safely resumed full service of its marine, truck and tank operations at the Yabucoa, Puerto Rico Terminal Facility and is available to meet the fuel needs of the island's businesses and residents," it said in a statement. The U.S. oil storage and transportation company operates the 4.6 million barrel Yabucoa oil storage facility. Reporting by Gary McWilliams
More Fuel on the Way to Puerto Ricans
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello reported progress in getting fuel supplies to the island's 3.4 million inhabitants on Monday as they faced a 13th day largely without power after the U.S. territory was devastated by Hurricane Maria. "We've been increasing the number of gas stations that are open," Rossello said at a news briefing, with more than 720 gas stations now up and running. Puerto Rico relies on fuel supplies shipped from the mainland United States and distribution has been disrupted by the bad state of roads.
Fuel Imports, Distribution in Puerto Rico Starts to Unclog
Shipments of gasoline and diesel into Puerto Rico have resumed after Hurricane Maria, with ports restarting operations, though there were still long fuel lines around the island on Thursday, according to traders and Thomson Reuters tracking data. Residents lined up for diesel for power generators and to fill cars with gasoline, while at least one tanker discharged at the port of San Juan as oil terminals reopened some facilities. The territory still faces logistical hurdles to distribute food, fuel and water. Critics called for more resources and a single authority to oversee relief efforts.
Caribbean Oil Terminals Prepare for Hurricane Maria
Several Caribbean oil storage terminals that temporarily closed ahead of Hurricane Irma earlier this month have started making preparations in case they have to shut again due to Hurricane Maria, which was a rare Category 5 storm on Tuesday. Shippers and traders in the Atlantic basin are struggling amid this year's very active storm season, which has seen seven hurricanes so far, four of them major hurricanes, defined as at least a Category 3 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. Hurricane Harvey hit the U.S. Gulf Coast's energy infrastructure at the end of August, halting a large portion of fuel exports to Latin America.
About 5-6 mln Without Power Post-Irma
Five million to 6 million power customers lack electricity after Hurricane Irma swept through the Florida and other parts of the U.S. southeast, leaving about 15 million people without power, federal emergency officials said on Tuesday. "Obviously, power restoration is one of the biggest goals," Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Brock Long told reporters at a news conference. He added that he was traveling to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to meet with their governors later on Tuesday. Reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu
Crowley to Supply LNG in Puerto Rico
Crowley Maritime Corp.’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) services group has been awarded a multi-year contract to supply additional volumes of containerized, U.S.-sourced LNG to a major pharmaceutical company’s manufacturing plants in Puerto Rico. The contract, executed through Crowley’s Carib Energy LLC subsidiary, extends a 2014 contract awarded to Crowley for LNG supply for the facilities by expanding LNG services to additional plants. The contract includes the fuel supply and transportation of LNG, which helps the customer yield substantially lowered emissions and provides an alternative to their current fuel source, diesel.
JP Morgan Asset Management Acquires Solar Developer Sonnedix
J.P. Morgan Asset Management has acquired nearly all of solar power developer Sonnedix Group, the companies said on Thursday. In 2014, J.P. Morgan Asset Management and Sonnedix formed a 50-50 joint venture called Sonnedix Power Holdings to explore opportunities in the global solar market. "With the declining cost of implementation, coupled with the strong appetite for renewables as an asset class, the global Sonnedix platform is well positioned to continue its growth strategy," Matthew LeBlanc, chief investment officer of OECD infrastructure equity investments at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said in a statement.
Construction Set to Start on Jacksonville LNG Facility
JAX LNG said it has executed the remaining engineering and procurement contracts required to begin construction of a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and storage facility at Dames Point near the Port of Jacksonville. The JAX LNG liquefaction facility is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2017. Once completed, it will be outfitted with a 2 million-gallon storage tank with the capacity to produce in excess of 120,000 gallons of LNG per day. JAX LNG’s Jacksonville plant will be…
