Wind Power News: Massachusetts
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 reproduced here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
State agency loses $20m case over New Bedford terminal
This should be time to party at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. After all, the agency’s underused marine terminal in New Bedford is finally profitable, and a big tenant is on its way. But maybe MassCEC should keep the champagne on ice. The saga of the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal took an unfavorable turn against the state on Monday when a jury in Suffolk Superior Court ruled that contractors that built the port are owed at least $20 million . . . Complete story »
Feds delay Vineyard Wind assessment one month
The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has delayed for one month the release of its final assessment of Vineyard Wind’s offshore wind farm plan. But the bureau still intends to meet an August deadline to decide yea or nay on the proposal, an agency spokesman said. The bureau was to issue the final environmental impact statement on June 7 before following with a final decision on the plan – called a record of decision – on Aug. 16, according . . . Complete story »
Edgartown board hears Vineyard Wind cable pitch
Vineyard Wind is seeking approval from the Edgartown conservation commission to run two export cables off the coast of Chappaquiddick as part of the wind farm it intends to build about 15 miles south of the Vineyard. The cables are meant to transfer electricity generated from 84 wind turbines to a landfall point in Barnstable, where it will be channeled into the electric grid. Vineyard Wind representatives came before the commission on May 22 to present an overview of their . . . Complete story »
Questions raised over how to bring wind energy to shore
BOSTON – The Baker administration wants to look into the potential of having one underwater transmission line that could feed electricity generated by multiple offshore wind farms into the regional power grid, but that plan got a cool reception from offshore wind executives attending an industry conference in Boston this week. In a report issued on May 31 recommending that the state double the amount of possible offshore wind power in Massachusetts, the Department of Energy Resources also proposed that the . . . Complete story »
Baker says Bay State needs to get wind right
BOSTON – Currently poised to be the first state in the country to draw from utility-scale offshore wind power, Massachusetts has a responsibility to get it right and to position the offshore wind industry for long-term success dealing with climate change and delivering affordable power across the United States, Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday. The state’s approach to secure clean power for itself and to blaze a trail for other states might make it “a little bit annoying to some people . . . Complete story »
Vineyard Wind makes late pitch to residents
CENTERVILLE – With a final environmental impact decision from the federal government pending, Vineyard Wind representatives met with the community again Thursday to shed light on preliminary construction plans for Covell Beach, where they plan to install high-voltage electricity transmission cables on Barnstable’s southern shoreline. Nathaniel Mayo, Vineyard Wind’s policy and development manager, presented plans for the offshore wind farm – slated for federal waters roughly 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard – to the public at Centerville Public Library. “This is trying . . . Complete story »
ISO-NE will require wind, intermittent hydro to bid into day-ahead energy markets
Dive Brief: ISO New England now requires wind- and intermittent hydro resources with a capacity supply obligation to offer into the grid operator’s day-ahead energy market, the grid operator announced Tuesday. The grid operator called it “another milestone” in its efforts to incorporate renewables into the regional marketplace. The requirement, effective June 1, comes three years after the ISO launched the Do Not Exceed (DNE) dispatch project, enabling those resources to take electronic dispatch instructions from the grid operator. Requiring DNE resources to participate . . . Complete story »
In future Mass bids, offshore wind could be forced to compete with other green energy
NEW BEDFORD – The next time Massachusetts goes out to bid for renewable energy, offshore wind could have some serious competition. The state Department of Energy Resources recommended Friday that Massachusetts buy another 1,600 megawatts of renewable power but open the bidding to all sources of clean, renewable energy, not just offshore wind. Patrick Woodcock, undersecretary of energy, said the offshore wind market has matured enough to compete with other industries. At the same time, the number of companies that hold . . . Complete story »
The rush is on: to double offshore wind power, that is
Welcome to the Offshore Gold Rush. Bring your panning kits, ideas for power lines, and any federal tax credits you can find before they disappear. Lobbying muscle would help, too. Governor Charlie Baker’s administration made it official on Friday: The state will continue to solicit bids for offshore wind power for years to come. The goal is to dole out contracts to wind-farm developers that would total 3,200 megawatts of power over time, potentially doubling the capacity of those that . . . Complete story »
Mass. to double offshore wind procurements
The Baker administration is pushing ahead with plans to double the procurement of offshore wind power over the next several years, a move that will increase wind’s share of the state’s energy portfolio to 30 percent while locking Massachusetts into long-term contracts for nearly two thirds of its electricity. The announcement was another sign of just how bullish the state is on offshore wind, but it also highlighted some of the risks involved in negotiating 20-year contracts directly with electricity . . . Complete story »
