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Plans Underway for Building Massive Offshore Wind Farms Along Jersey Coast
The Murphy administration is ramping up the state’s efforts to build offshore wind farms by possibly doubling the amount of capacity it wants developers to build off the Jersey coast.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities recently issued draft guidance for a formal solicitation seeking developer interest in a project which the administration originally had targeted for up to 1,200 megawatts of offshore wind capacity, but now could involve up to 2,400 MW of new wind farms. [ read more … ]
Wind Energy
First Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Farm Fully Operational
Following the connection of the last of the three platforms to the 20-m export cable connecting the WindFloat Atlantic to the substation at Viana do Castelo, Portugal, the construction of the floating offshore wind farm has been completed. WindFloat Atlantic, which has a total installed capacity of 25 MW, is the world’s first semi-submersible floating wind farm.
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NJBPU issues solicitation guidance for second offshore wind project in NJ
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) issued solicitation guidance on the state’s second offshore wind project. The solicitation guidance document includes information on the timeline for the second solicitation, the application requirements, and the criteria for evaluating applications. The state’s first offshore wind solicitation was for 1,100 megawatts (MW) of energy. The state’s goal is to have 7,500 MW of offshore wind energy by 2035. [ read more … ]
Climate
Exxon bumps Minn. climate lawsuit to federal bench
Exxon Mobil Corp. pushed another major climate case to federal court this week, launching a battle over venue with Minnesota’s top lawyer. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) filed a consumer protection lawsuit last month against Exxon, Koch Industries and the American Petroleum Institute alleging that industry interests misled Minnesota residents about the effect of fossil fuel use on global warming [ read more … ]
No One Is Owning Up to Releasing Cloud of Methane in Florida
It was 12 miles wide, invisible to the naked eye and traveled across six counties to Florida’s largest city. And it’s still unclear who — or what — was responsible. The mysterious plume of methane, estimated to total 300 metric tons, was released north of Gainesville between May 2 and May 3, when it reached Jacksonville, according to Bluefield Technologies Inc., which analyzed data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5P satellite. [ read more … ]
Grid-EVs
Grid needs help this decade to charge EVs — study
The U.S. grid will be able to handle a growing herd of electric vehicles for the next eight years, but after that, its reliability will depend on either costly upgrades or a smarter charging network, according to a study out today. Scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state examined how the power system will cope, a topic of growing urgency as EVs become more common. [ read more … ]
Markets
Europe’s Coal Heartland Starts Talks on Phasing Out the Fuel
Poland’s government started discussions with utilities and powerful mining unions about speeding up the country’s green transformation, only to hit the first hurdle within hours. Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin’s proposals were met with skepticism on Tuesday, forcing the European Union’s most coal-dependent country to pivot its approach. The government said it would now set up a task force with industry partners to iron out the path toward a coal-free future. [ read more … ]
U.S. coal production hit its lowest point in last four decades
Freshly publicized federal data showing that U.S. coal production is down to its lowest level in four decades throws into stark relief the decline of American coal mining as it faces stiffer competition from cleaner and cheaper sources of power. That low point comes even as President Trump has tried to marshal the power of the federal government to reverse the trend and rescue the industry. [ read more … ]
China’s Hengli Makes Bold $20 Billion Bet to Spin Coal Into Fabric
What to do with China’s abundant stock of coal? Chemical giant Hengli plans to make clothes out of it. It may sound like something from ancient alchemy, but the privately-owned Chinese company surprised industry watchers in June when it said it was getting into mining with a $20 billion project to convert coal into polyester yarn, used in clothes, packaging and plastic bottles. [ read more … ]
Fusion
‘ITER miracle’ keeps fusion project going — despite COVID-19
“We will have developed a new form of energy that is nonpolluting, carbon free, safe and practically without waste, an energy that will answer the needs of populations in all parts of the world, meet the challenges of climate change, and preserve natural resources,” Macron said. “With fusion, nuclear energy can be an industry of the future even more so than it is already today.” [ read more … ]
Car Rule
‘Pretty hypocritical’: Campaign targets Toyota
A campaign from environmental groups seeks to hold Toyota Motor Corp. accountable for siding with President Trump in the legal fight over California’s clean car standards. The campaign, which is set to launch later today and has not been previously reported, is dubbed “Toyota Can’t Be Trusted.”
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Campaign 2020
Big Green: How environmental groups got rich
With less than 100 days until the elections, green groups are flexing their newfound muscle through super PAC expenditures that far exceed their past spending. A super PAC can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money as long as it doesn’t coordinate with a candidate’s campaign. Major green super PACs have collectively doubled their fundraising and more than doubled their spending in races since Donald Trump won the White House, according to an E&E News analysis of financial records filed with the Federal Election Commission. [ read more … ]
Oil and Gas Groups See ‘Some Common Ground’ in Biden Energy Plan
Joseph R. Biden Jr. won over environmentalists and liberals when he announced a $2 trillion plan to promote electric vehicles, energy efficiency and other policies intended to address climate change. But the plan released on July 14 has also earned a measure of support from an unexpected source: the oil and gas industry that is closely aligned with the Trump administration and is a big source of campaign contributions to the president. [ read more … ]
Off Topic
The curse of ‘both-sidesism’: How climate denial skewed media coverage for 30 years
Ever wonder why Americans have been so slow to support climate action? A new study lays some of the blame on media bias —for 30 years, three of the country’s most influential sources of news gave too much credence to arguments that the world shouldn’t take decisive action to mitigate climate change. “Opponents of climate action have been given an outsize opportunity to sway this debate,” said Rachel Wetts, the author of the study. Her results were published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Edward Mailbach, director of the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communications, called these conclusions unsettling. “Rather than marginalize self-interested voices and give prominence to expert voices, these papers did just the opposite,” he said. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.