MAJOR OFFSHORE wind developers in New York say their projects may no longer be financially viable unless regulators amend their power purchase agreements to include adjustments for inflation and interconnection costs. In petitions filed with state regulators on Wednesday, the New York wind farm operators followed the same script as developers in Massachusetts, who say […]
Plugging In
Posted inEnergy
SouthCoast Wind report suggests pricey future for offshore wind
A REPORT COMMISSIONED by SouthCoast Wind indicates the cost of building and operating US offshore wind farms has risen by more than 20 percent since 2019, suggesting the Massachusetts procurement scheduled for next year could be pricey. SouthCoast Wind on Monday said it was seeking to terminate the power purchase agreements it previously signed with […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
SouthCoast Wind pulling out of its wind farm deal
A clarification has been added to this story. SOUTHCOAST WIND said on Monday that it is moving to terminate its existing offshore wind contracts with Massachusetts and hoping to rebid them at higher prices in the state’s next procurement. The announcement ended months of vacillation by SouthCoast. The company, a joint venture of Shell New […]
Posted inEnergy
A new way to connect offshore wind power to the grid
THE OWNER OF the Canal Station power plants in Sandwich is telling state regulators it may have an easier way for offshore wind farms to feed their electricity into the regional power grid and save ratepayers as much as $200 million. Jera Americas Inc., a Japanese company that bought the Canal power plants last year, […]
Posted inEnergy
Eversource exiting offshore wind business
EVERSOURCE, New England’s largest utility, said on Thursday that it plans to exit the offshore wind business and write down the value of its holdings by $220 million to $280 million. The utility said it is selling its 50 percent stake in an undeveloped 175,000-acre lease area 25 miles off the coast of Massachusetts for […]
Posted inEnergy
Vineyard Wind components arrive in New Bedford
THE NATION’S fledgling offshore wind industry took a very visible step forward on Thursday as a ship from Portugal delivered components for the first US industrial-scale wind farm to the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. The UHL Felicity bought in tower components for the giant General Electric wind turbines that will be assembled at the […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, Opinion
We must pursue a real plan for net-zero emissions by 2050
AS THE COMMONWEALTH moves forward with its ambitious mandate to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it’s essential that we have a real plan for implementing a real solution. Failure to adopt a concrete plan at best means piecemeal, uncoordinated and inefficient action. At worst, it could mean major disruption and harm to workers and ratepayers. A full […]
Posted inEnergy
Healey seeking $250m for grid upgrades
THE HEALEY ADMINISTRATION announced on Monday that it has filed an application for $250 million in federal matching funds to help build connections to the power grid in Massachusetts for offshore wind and solar power developers. State officials portrayed the grant proposal as an attempt to “jumpstart state and regional collaboration on necessary transmission infrastructure,” […]
Posted inOpinion
Ocean grid key to explosive offshore wind growth
OFFSHORE WIND could be as beneficial to Massachusetts economy as life sciences, but not without transmission infrastructure to scale the industry. The life science sector grew by over 60,000 jobs in the 15 years leading up to 2022, a growth rate of 131 percent vs. 6.9 percent over the same period for the broader Massachusetts […]
Posted inEnergy, State Government
Energy storage facilities hit regulatory black hole
THE STATE’S Energy Facilities Siting Board concluded on Wednesday that it lacks authority to approve large energy storage facilities, which means two projects in Carver and Medway may be in jeopardy. Energy storage facilities are becoming an integral part of the regional power grid. The facilities help the grid deal with fluctuations in demand by […]