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 do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Stonington fishermen say wind farm developer not responding to their concerns
Stonington – Local fishermen say they’ve been waiting for months for Ørsted to respond to a host of concerns they’ve presented about a proposed 75-turbine wind farm about a dozen miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard. Joe Gilbert, who has a fleet of four commercial boats based at the Stonington Town Dock, said he met with John O’Keefe, head of marine operations for Ørsted, in March to discuss the “vast” concerns that he and other fishermen have ranging from potential environmental impacts . . . Complete story »
Why is Lamont’s wind deal not done yet?
It was way back in July, long before the chilly winds of October began to blow, that I first learned that Connecticut Port Authority’s $93 million plan to transform New London’s Pier into a wind turbine assembly facility was not a done deal. Most people assumed, when Gov. Ned Lamont came to town in early May to ceremoniously announce the deal, including his own $35.5 million contribution, that it was all signed and sealed. The headline from the announcement said . . . Complete story »
Massachusetts company competes to harness wind power for Connecticut, pitching Bridgeport as a hub
A Massachusetts company has submitted a bid to state energy officials to harness offshore wind power in a project tied to Bridgeport that promoters say would boost the economy of Connecticut’s largest city. Vineyard Wind, based in New Bedford, Mass., submitted bids Monday for a 400-megawatt plan and options to develop projects that will generate 800 megawatts, 1,000 megawatts and 1,200 megawatts. The project, known as “Park City Wind,” was submitted to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection . . . Complete story »
Connecticut offshore wind competition kicks off
Hartford – Multiple renewable energy ventures recently entered the competition to provide Connecticut electricity from offshore wind farms. So far, Connecticut’s first selected offshore wind suppliers, Ørsted and Eversource, will compete with Mayflower Wind, a joint venture between Shell New Energies and EDPR Renewables North America, and Vineyard Wind, a pairing of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables. The auction, following the state’s request for proposals in August, stemmed from lawmakers’ and Gov. Ned Lamont’s push for an injection of up . . . Complete story »
Early reaction to state’s wind deal positive in New London
Others questioned whether it was a good idea to allow the pier to be strictly for the offshore wind industry, especially considering recent investments in the adjoining rail lines. “This new proposed restriction on who’s going to be using the port facility, allowing only the exclusive use of the State Pier area by wind power, would have disastrous effects on other businesses and is viewed by some as an inappropriate use of Connecticut state property to benefit a utility industry,” Edward Johnson of Groton said. “I’m a Connecticut taxpayer. It looks like there’s $35 million worth of my tax money being used for this. Let’s allow the port to remain open in some fashion for the remaining industries,” he said. Complete story »
Port authority offered hush money
The wild account of financial mismanagement and corruption at the Connecticut Port Authority made this week by the agency’s fired office manager would make any reasonable person slam the brakes on the whole enterprise. Instead, Gov. Ned Lamont’s choice to lead the scandal-ridden agency to a $93 million wind deal remaking New London’s port hit the accelerator and tried to put a lid on the steaming cauldron of alleged personal enrichment at taxpayer expense. Part of that hide-and-conceal strategy included . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines and fishing nets fight for offshore space
NORTH KINGSTON, R.I. – Port officials, state lawmakers and wind industry representatives boarded a high-speed ferry one recent morning for the one-hour trip to Block Island, the site of America’s lone offshore wind farm. The mood was buoyant. The five turbines off Block Island can generate just 30 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 17,000 homes, but they represent the potential dawn of a wind boom along the East Coast. Wind developers have signed deals with states up and down . . . Complete story »
Will Gov. Lamont entertain public input on a wind-only port?
Let’s all humor Gov. Ned Lamont and join him in looking away from the messy scandals at the Connecticut Port Authority and concentrate instead on the wind deal that the troubled agency hatched, a plan that could close the port of New London to traditional cargo for the better part of a generation. If I have the governor’s timetable correct, there will soon be a grand unveiling of the final $93 million plan, as already sketched out in permit applications, . . . Complete story »
CT offshore wind may face some rough seas
As Connecticut races to get its first offshore wind projects on track for construction, a collision of factors appear to be working against them. To start with, the timing couldn’t be worse. The state and its offshore-wind-loving neighbors all face a year-end expiration of a federal tax credit that helps finance these projects – the first major attempts in the U.S. But in Connecticut some problems – including at least one self-inflicted one – could mean forgoing that money. Most . . . Complete story »
Should Connecticut study long-term impact of wind farms?
The long-term impact of the construction and operation of offshore wind projects on wildlife in the Atlantic Ocean needs to be studied and minimized. That’s the recommendation of a state commission to Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The Commission of Environmental Standards released a report last week that told DEEP officials that Connecticut needs to follow best practices to avoid, minimize and mitigate any impact wind farms could have on wildlife and natural resources found in the Atlantic. . . . Complete story »
