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Wind Power News: Connecticut
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort 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.
Vineyard Wind turbine farm draws CT fishing industry concern
The massive 804 megawatt Vineyard Wind turbine farm proposed for waters off Martha’s Vineyard is triggering concern about the impact on the state’s fishing industry. During a meeting Thursday of the Connecticut Commission on Environmental Standards, a collection of regulators, fisherman and politicians, some members suggested that pledged research funding be directed toward protecting fishermen. State Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton and a commission member, said she was particularly concerned about fisherman based in New London and Stonington. “One of my . . . Complete story »
New England council calls for offshore wind mitigation fund
The New England Fishery Management Council updated its offshore wind energy policy, endorsing calls for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to establish “a compensatory mitigation fund for damages that occur to the marine environment and fish habitat,” and losses to fishing vessels as turbine arrays are built. The council’s Dec. 7 deliberation came with a new presentation from BOEM on the agency’s push to review and approve up to 16 wind energy projects off the East Coast by late . . . Complete story »
Energy companies accused of bid rigging and racketeering in US lawsuit
A cybersecurity company filed a $110m lawsuit in New York this week, accusing the Spanish global energy company Iberdrola and its US subsidiary Avangrid of bid rigging and racketeering. The 72-page federal court complaint outlines an elaborate scheme by Iberdrola executives to generate millions of dollars in wasteful equipment expenditures in order to turn a profit from its utility customers in New York, Connecticut and Maine. The lawsuit further alleges that much of this equipment was never put to use . . . Complete story »
Wind energy cost increase a sign of what’s to come
Utility company Dominion recently reported a $2 billion increase on the price of their offshore wind project. The price increase was largely blamed on “commodity pressures” (inflation, i.e.: Shipping has more than doubled. Steel more than tripled.). Dominion also admitted initial cost estimates were based on incomplete design documents. This sounds alarmingly similar to the explanation Kosta Diamantis and the CT Port Authority gave in attempting to explain how costs to remake the State Pier in New London jumped from . . . Complete story »
Official downplay missed permit deadline for redeveloping State Pier
NEW LONDON – Representatives of the Connecticut Port Authority and the wind energy partnership between Eversource and Ørsted downplayed the significance of a delay in the permitting process with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to redevelop State Pier. A dredging permit was expected before the end of August, but that timeline appears unlikely – raising the possibility that the project could exceed a budget that is already being tightly scrutinized by state lawmakers. Port Authority Executive Director John Henshaw said . . . Complete story »
New England solar developer’s legal wrangling draws praise, criticism
Thomas Melone is president of a Connecticut solar company. He is also a lawyer. And between the two, observers say, he is something of an enigma. As head of Allco Renewable Energy, Melone says his company’s corporate mission is to combat the devastating impacts of climate change. But he’s also filed multiple lawsuits challenging several states’ clean energy programs. He most recently made news by suing in federal court to have approvals overturned for Vineyard Wind – poised to be the . . . Complete story »
Lamont, legislature headed for a showdown over funding of watchdog agency
Gov. Ned Lamont may be headed for a showdown with the legislature over what appears to be a fraction of the state budget too small to measure. But what’s really at stake is the oversight of a major wind-to-energy project in Long Island Sound and whether a long-underfunded watchdog agency – founded not long after a Republican governor went to jail – should have the resources to probe this venture. “It doesn’t matter whether we have a Democrat or a Republican in . . . Complete story »
Pending DEEP decisions could change New London’s waterfront forever
Leadership in the bureaucracy of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is on the brink of important decisions in two separate environmental applications, projects that together could change the look and use of New London’s deepwater port for generations. The first is a request that DEEP put a temporary stay on its plans to issue a permit to allow a remaking of State Pier for wind turbine assembly, so that an appeal of the permit decision could be . . . Complete story »
The Block Island wind farm has largely shut down
Folks on Block Island have become accustomed to showing off their five-turbine wind farm, which you can see from much of the small island, the giant blades usually tumbling around on the horizon. And Ørsted, the Danish multinational utility that bought the farm from the wind company established by Rhode Island political insiders, likes to use it as a showpiece, one of America’s first functioning offshore wind farms. And so I can understand why no one wants to talk about . . . Complete story »
State approves final $50 million for State Pier project
New London – The State Bond Commission on Friday approved $50 million to the Connecticut Port Authority toward the $235.5 million redevelopment of State Pier in New London. It represents what is expected to be the state’s final contribution toward a modernization project that is underway in anticipation of State Pier next year becoming a staging area for the offshore wind industry. Gov. Ned Lamont, at Friday’s meeting, said “it did take a little bit longer and was a little more . . . Complete story »
