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Interior Dept. Delays Vineyard Wind Construction Until 2020
Construction of the country’s first commercial scale offshore wind farm off Massachusetts’ coast will be delayed until at least next year while the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management determines the cumulative effect on commercial fishing of building multiple wind farms in the region, the agency said in a recent update. Vineyard Wind, a joint venture of Copenhagen Investment Partners and Avengrid Renewables, is developing the 800-MW, $2.8 billion project. The developers had expected to begin construction before the end of the year to take advantage of a significant federal tax credit for renewable energy that expires on Dec. 31. [ read more … ]
Policy & Politics
U.S. wind to ‘peak’ in 2020 as tax credits expire — report
The U.S. wind market is expected to “peak” next year as the federal production tax credit phases down, according to a new report from Wood Mackenzie. A tightening window for developers to complete projects — before the wind PTC fully expires in 2021 — will trigger 14.6 gigawatts of added wind capacity in 2020 before a pronounced downturn, the analysis said. The consultancy forecasts a more than 50% drop in wind capacity between 2020 and 2022, as the industry’s primary federal incentive reaches its end.
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R.I. fishermen frustrated by plans’ turbine distance
Rhode Island fishermen say they’re frustrated that plans for offshore wind farms don’t reflect their concerns about spacing between turbines. Ørsted U.S. Offshore Wind and Eversource discussed their 130-megawatt South Fork Wind Farm project at a recent meeting. [ read more … ]
Massive Solar-Battery Plant Wins Approval in L.A., Overcoming Union Concerns
Los Angeles’ municipal utility unanimously approved the contract for the cheapest solar and energy storage project in the U.S. on Tuesday. The 400-megawatt Eland project, developed by 8minute Solar Energy, failed to pass a late-August vote by the L.A. Department of Water and Power’s Board of Commissioners. The utility union had expressed concerns about the project, part of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s clean energy overhaul, which union leadership has strongly criticized. [ read more … ]
‘Dramatic’ rise in driver fees threatens EV adoption — study
Drivers of electric vehicles are being unfairly singled out by states trying to replenish eroding funds for highway repairs, according to a new analysis from Consumer Reports. The assessment is one of the first nationally to examine how state fees on hybrids and pure-electric cars stack up against those of their gas counterparts. Overall, 26 states have either enacted or are contemplating fees on EVs — generally charged annually and on top of registration fees also paid by gas-car drivers. [ read more … ]
China’s EV sales drop for 2nd straight month
Chinese electric-car sales fell for a second straight month after the government scaled back subsidies, the latest sign that one of the final pillars of strength in the world’s largest automobile market is crumbling. Sales of new energy vehicles — all-electric, fuel-celled autos and plugin hybrids — declined 16% from a year earlier to 85,000 units in August, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said yesterday. That followed a 4.7% drop in July. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.