Wind Power News: Connecticut
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Scientists, offshore wind developer look to minimize marine life impacts
Despite lacking ears, oysters respond to noise. “We don’t think of underwater noise as an issue … but most marine life – if not all marine life – listens to the world around it in one way or another,” said Aaron Rice, a researcher at Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. As part of the lab’s bioacoustics program, Rice’s research dives into the sounds animals make, helping scientists pinpoint habitats and behavior patterns. He also examines how human-made sounds impact sea critters, whether . . . Complete story »
Malloy leaves New London twisting in the wind
Gov. Dannel Malloy, always ready to reach into his trusty bonding bag of tricks, managed to pull out $15 million worth of goodies for Deepwater Wind, the rich hedge-fund controlled company to which the state has granted permission to sell its expensive wind power to Connecticut ratepayers. Before even making Deepwater the winning bidder for the state’s commitment to buy offshore wind, Malloy announced he would provide $15 million in borrowed state bond money for improvements to State Pier in . . . Complete story »
Connecticut taps Deepwater Wind for offshore project
Hartford – State regulators on Wednesday tapped Block Island Wind Farm developer Deepwater Wind to bring offshore wind power to Connecticut. One of three firms that submitted bids to the state in April, the Providence developer says it will invest at least $15 million into the Connecticut Port Authority for infrastructure upgrades that officials say could help State Pier become a hotbed of offshore wind activity. “We have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to invest in energy projects that . . . Complete story »
Skeptical about wind power economics
David Collins’ column “Pros and cons of $15 million dollar investment at State Pier to accommodate offshore wind projects” (June 1), was slanted toward skepticism and Benjamin Kail’s article “Region’s leaders pitch New London to offshore wind suppliers” (June 4), was slanted toward the optimism. We would be well advised to heed Dave Collins’ skepticism. I’m skeptical about any wind project. I’ve written to The Day in the past. I only wish that reporter Kail had asked Mayor Passero if . . . Complete story »
New London, state leaders push offshore wind development as Mass., R.I. projects move forward
Massachusetts and Rhode Island on Wednesday tapped two offshore wind developers who also remain in the hunt to provide offshore wind power to Connecticut, where local officials and energy companies are pushing for a new hub of manufacturing in a growing industry. Massachusetts picked New Bedford-based Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and United Illuminating-parent company Avangrid, to develop the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S. In Rhode Island, Gov. Gina Raimondo announced the state . . . Complete story »
Cold snap tested reliability of region’s power grid and arguments against fossil fuels
As Maine and New England shivered through last winter’s historic cold spell, the region’s electric system faced an unprecedented prospect: rolling blackouts. Several troubling circumstances were converging. Natural gas was scarce and pricey. A power line failure sidelined one of New England’s largest power plants. Solar panels were covered with snow and wind turbines were buffeted by storms. The combination forced grid operators to ramp up 1960s-era technology to keep the lights on. For the first time, they strategically juggled . . . Complete story »
Proposed wind farms off of New London worry local fishermen
Fishermen were quick to react to the possibility of another wind farm off the New England coast. Last week, Ørsted and Eversource announced a joint venture and has submitted a bid to build Connecticut’s first offshore wind farm, in response to the state’s request for proposals for offshore wind energy generation. The approximately 200-megawatt project – Constitution Wind – would be the first of its kind to serve the state of Connecticut and would be located in federal waters 65 . . . Complete story »
New England faces ‘horror story’ of expensive power
New England is struggling to keep the lights on as it pursues aggressive clean energy goals, a dilemma that is so troublesome that the region’s power grid operator warns of blackouts if something doesn’t change. “I am getting nervous in New England,” said Robert Powelson, a Republican commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees wholesale power markets, during a recent event hosted by the American Council on Renewable Energy. “It is almost like a horror story.” The story . . . Complete story »
DEEP details three offshore wind proposals
A day after two offshore wind developers announced proposals for Connecticut, state regulators released details of three total projects submitted this week, including one from New Bedford, Mass.-based Vineyard Wind LLC. Vineyard Wind will compete against proposals announced this week by Deepwater Wind and Baystate Wind, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Wednesday. A joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables – a subsidiary of Avangrid, United Illuminating’s parent company – Vineyard Wind would inject 190 megawatts of . . . Complete story »
Three wind power projects submitted to Connecticut DEEP
A request for renewable energy proposals by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has yielded three bids for generating power with offshore wind farms. The deadline for submitting the renewable energy proposals to DEEP was Monday. DEEP officials received a total of 27 bids, according to agency spokesman Chris Collibee. In addition to three proposals involving offshore wind farms, there were 20 involving fuel cells and four that would use anaerobic digestion, which processes plant materials into methane . . . Complete story »
