View this email in a web browser.
U.S. agency again delays key permit for first major U.S. offshore wind farm
A federal agency said on Thursday it has again delayed a long-awaited environmental study crucial to permitting the first major U.S. offshore wind project, but final approval of the project is expected by mid-January. The study of the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project planned for the waters off the Massachusetts coast is expected to be released by Dec. 11, according to a government timeline. It had been anticipated later this week. [ read more … ]
Wind Energy
‘Holding our breath.’ Industry jitters in Trump’s last days
Trump has never hidden his disdain for wind energy, falsely claiming that turbines can give people cancer. But his administration has been something of a black box for offshore wind developers and opponents of the giant turbines alike. Permitting and leases have moved forward under Trump, but no major project has crossed the finish line. The stakes are highest for Vineyard Wind, a proposed 84-turbine development off the Massachusetts coast and the first utility-scale project planned in the United States. [ read more … ]
N.Y. offshore wind hub gets boost
Two New York House Democrats are throwing their weight behind an offshore wind company’s bid to build a hub in Brooklyn. Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Jerry Nadler argue that Equinor Wind US LLC’s proposal to locate a turbine construction, assembly and loading operation at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal would help revitalize the historically working class Sunset Park neighborhood that lies southeast of Lower Manhattan along the Upper New York Bay. [ read more … ]
Sweden’s new car carrier is the world’s largest wind-powered vessel
Oceanbird might look like a ship of the future, but it harks back to ancient maritime history — because it’s powered by the wind. The transatlantic car carrier is being designed by Wallenius Marine, a Swedish shipbuilder, with support from the Swedish government and several research institutions.
[ read more … ]
The Transition
Inside Clean Energy: Four Things Biden Can Do for Clean Energy Without Congress
After nearly four years with a president who talks about wind turbines causing cancer and complains about low-flow showerheads, clean energy businesses and advocates say they are elated about President-elect Joe Biden. But with a closely divided Senate, the incoming president is likely to have little room to pass legislation. So I asked some experts for examples of steps a Biden administration might take related to clean energy that do not require Congressional approval. Here are four they singled out: [ read more … ]
Biden’s Win Means Help for Automakers Selling Electric Vehicles
Although President Obama threw a lifeline to U.S. automakers after the financial crisis, many in the industry were unhappy that his administration also was responsible for fuel economy rules that pushed carmakers to their limits. But the inauguration of former Vice President Joe Biden, who worked hand in hand with Obama to set the tough regulations, will be a welcome event for the industry. That’s because Biden will bring something that manufacturers from Volkswagen to General Motors to Tesla badly need: help selling electric vehicles. [ read more … ]
Meet Biden’s energy team
President-elect Joe Biden’s review teams at the Department of Energy and other agencies could help him carry out his pledge to reach 100% clean electricity and cut emissions, and include appointees with extensive government experience and a past in the Obama administration. “They’re going to have to hit the ground running,” Brandon Hurlbut, a former chief of staff to Obama Energy Secretary Steven Chu, said of Biden’s agency picks. “Biden is inheriting many crises, and there’s not going to be time for a learning curve.” [ read more … ]
Biden ‘playbook’ in climate, energy feuds echo Trump’s
Battles over President Trump’s climate and energy actions could be stuck in legal limbo once President-elect Joe Biden steps into the Oval Office and begins paving the way for new standards on public land use and greenhouse gas emissions. During his four years in office, Trump weakened more than 125 environmental policies and regulations, using his executive power to scale back major safeguards against pollution, vehicle emissions, and oil and gas development — all of which were challenged at every turn by blue states and environmentalists. [ read more … ]
FERC
New chairman cancels meeting on electric vehicles
Newly appointed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman James Danly has canceled a roundtable discussion aimed at examining electric vehicles and charging infrastructure nationwide. The technical conference, slated for December, was planned by former Chairman Neil Chatterjee, whom President Trump demoted to commissioner last week. [ read more … ]
Car Efficiency Rule
California official sees state auto emissions deal as ‘template’ for Bid
California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols, who sources say could be the next federal environment chief, said on Thursday her state’s agreement with major automakers for fuel efficiency requirements could serve as a “good template” for federal standards through 2025. The Trump administration in March finalized a rollback of U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to require 1.5% annual increases in efficiency through 2026, well below the 5% yearly boosts in Obama administration rules it discarded. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.