The governors of Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia announced a three-state collaboration to advance offshore wind projects in the region and promote the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic United States as a hub for offshore wind energy and industry. The creation of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Regional Transformative Partnership for Offshore Wind Energy Resources (SMART-POWER) provides a…
Greenbacker Renewable Energy acquires 15.3-MW Maine wind project
Greenbacker Renewable Energy announced that, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, it purchased the rights to a 15.3-MW to-be-constructed wind project, developed by Palmer Management Corporation and other parties. Located in Roxbury, Maine, the RoxWind project is contracted to sell electricity through long-term offtake agreements with four local municipal utilities. The project is expected to reach COD…
ACE NY urges support of the New York Renewables Protection Act
The Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY) has released a new video promoting the retainment of existing renewable energy resources in New York State. The video is adding to the chorus of voices supporting the NY Renewables Protection Act (S.23/A.4294) to keep existing renewable resources in state, especially in light of the ambitious new…
University of Arizona to fully power campus with wind, solar & storage
The University of Arizona has partnered with Tucson Electric Power (TEP) to provide its campus with enough clean, emission-free power from new wind, solar, and storage systems to serve all of its purchased power needs. “We made a commitment to become a more sustainable campus, and now we have in place a system that will…
Detroit Zoo sets 100% renewable energy goal
The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) took a major step forward on its “Green Journey.” recently announcing that the Detroit Zoo will be powered by 100% Michigan-made renewable energy through DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program. The move will offset 7,425 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 8,740 acres of U.S. forests…
BOEM Oregon to host renewable energy task force meeting
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is holding a BOEM an Oregon Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting on September 27. Members of the public are invited to attend. In addition to providing an update on BOEM activities and an overview of the offshore renewable energy leasing process, BOEM…
Vineyard Wind submits proposals for additional offshore wind development
Vineyard Wind confirmed that it has submitted a set of commercial large-scale offshore wind proposals to Massachusetts Electric Distribution Companies (EDCs), as part of the commonwealths’ second Section 83C procurement for clean energy generation and transmission. The proposals include a required 400-MW option and two options for development of an 800 MW project. “Vineyard Wind…
New Jersey adds new stakeholder meetings on Draft Energy Master Plan
In response to high demand and a large number of interested stakeholders, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has added two stakeholder meetings for members of the public to provide input on the Draft 2019 Energy Master Plan. Through Executive Order 28, state Governor Murphy set an ambitious goal in June, setting New Jersey…
New York Siting Board approves 101.8-MW Eight Point Wind project
The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (Siting Board) granted approval to Eight Point Wind LLC to build and operate a wind farm facility in Steuben County, New York. The Siting Board’s decision follows a rigorous review and public participation process to ensure that the wind farm meets or exceeds…
Wisconsin aims for 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers recently signed Executive Order #38, which sets a goal of ensuring all electricity consumed within the state is 100% carbon-free by 2050. “A transition to a clean energy economy will generate thousands of family-supporting jobs in Wisconsin,” said Gov. Evers. “Our state has a responsibility to current and future generations of…
Revised House Bill 6 petition filed in Ohio
Last week, opponents of Ohio’s House Bill 6 submitted a second summary petition to the Ohio Attorney General and Secretary of State in its effort to stop the legislation’s billion dollar bailout of two nuclear power plants and the removal of the state’s renewable energy standards. In July, Ohio Senate and House concurred on HB…
Maryland establishes official task force on renewable development
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has signed Executive Order 01.01.2019.09, which establishes the Governor’s Task Force on Renewable Energy Development and Siting. The order aims to develop consensus-based recommendations on the siting of new wind and solar power projects in the state. “In my most recent State of the State address, I pledged my strong support…
The Network’s statement on Vineyard Wind’s project delay
The Business Network for Offshore Wind‘s Liz Burdock has released the following statement on Vineyard Wind’s delayed issuance of a Federal Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the offshore project: The recent announcement by U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) to delay the approval of the FEIS for the Vineyard Wind…
Shareholders re-affirm commitment to 800-MW Vineyard Wind project
Vineyard Wind says its shareholders have affirmed a commitment to deliver the proposed 800-MW wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts, albeit with a delayed project schedule. This decision follows the August 9 determination by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to significantly delay publication of the Vineyard Wind 1 project’s Final Environmental Impact…
Vineyard Wind releases update on project delay
Vineyard Wind released an update today about ongoing discussions with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on the project’s delayed issuance of a federal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): “The federal government’s decision to further delay the approval of the FEIS for the Vineyard Wind 1 project comes as a surprise and disappointment. To be clear, the…
Wind power features big in Alliant Energy’s sustainability goals
Alliant Energy released its Corporate Sustainability Report, which outlines the company’s efforts to meet the ever-changing needs of their customers in an affordable, safe, reliable, and sustainable way. “Our world is changing – and so are we,” said Alliant Energy Chairman, President and CEO John Larsen. “We’re listening to our customers, employees and key stakeholders and…
New Jersey invites continued feedback on Draft Energy Master Plan
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities will conduct the third and fourth of its series of public stakeholder meetings on the Draft 2019 Energy Master Plan on Thursday, August 8 in Newark. The first and second meetings were held on July 17 in Trenton. Through Executive Order 28, state Governor Murphy set an ambitious…
Is California next in line for offshore wind?
By Cherise Gaffney, Tim Taylor & Chad Marriott Partners, Stoel Rives LLP Offshore wind projects are extremely capital intensive, so it makes sense that the first wave of development in the U.S. has focused on high-load, transmission-constrained East Coast regions. New England is one excellent example, where power prices are high enough to support…
New bipartisan bill seeks to increase renewables on public lands
U.S. Representatives Mike Levin (D-CA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) have introduced the Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2019, a bill to help combat the climate crisis and reduce dependence on fossil fuels by promoting development of wind, solar, and geothermal energy on public lands. The bill is cosponsored by Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Doug…
Lawmakers propose Clean Energy Victory Bonds in fight against climate change
The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate introduced the Clean Energy Victory Bond today. The legislation — introduced in the House by Representatives Zoe Lofgren and Doris Matsui and in the Senate by Senator Tom Udall — calls for the government to issue up to $50 billion per year in Clean Energy Victory Bonds that…