The massive blade that broke off a windmill tower, splashed down into the ocean and had pieces wash up on Nantucket beaches a few weeks ago is having repercussions here today in Connecticut. The joint venture project being developed by a division of Orange-based Avangrid and a Dutch renewable energy company is under scrutiny, even as construction of the 806-megawatt offshore wind farm came to halt in mid-July when a 300-foot section of a 360-foot blade broke off one of the turbines that are part of Vineyard Wind. The project, which is a joint venture of Avangrid Renewables and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is being developed about 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and 35 miles from mainland Massachusetts. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:29
Tag Archives: Connecticut
Fishermen still impacted by Long Island Sound’s lobster die-off
For decades, the crustaceans were caught off the coast of Connecticut. But, in the late 90s, things changed drastically. When the lobster die-off happened 25 years ago, it sunk many who made their living on the sea. But there are still some local lobstermen who have found a way to keep their businesses afloat. “We went from doing 500-600 pounds of lobster a tide, some guys were doing a thousand a tide, to a hundred,” said Walter Roderick, who keeps his lobster boat the Stacey Geal at Stonington Dock, the home of the last commercial fishing fleet in Connecticut. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:42
Connecticut Fisherman Sentenced for Tax Evasion
A Connecticut man was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for evading taxes on income he earned from commercial fishing in Massachusetts. According to court documents and statements made in court, Brian Kobus, of Durham, worked as a commercial fisherman and deckhand for various fishing companies in Massachusetts. After each fishing trip, the companies paid Kobus by check. Despite receiving over $1.2 million in fishing income between 2011 through 2013, and 2017 through 2021, Kobus never filed a federal income tax return or paid the taxes that he owed. To conceal the source and disposition of his income from the IRS, Kobus regularly cashed his paychecks from the fishing companies and used the cash to fund his personal lifestyle. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:58
Maine Unions Lead on the Green Energy Transition
Maine’s fifteen years long OSW policy debates have been hobbled by entrenched opposition from Maine’s lobstermen. It would also be impossible to convince politicians to pass an OSW law that was oblivious to the interests of Maine’s lobstermen. Governor Mills and her team reached out to Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA), but they did not break through the impasse. The MLA continues to oppose OSW by arguing about potential impacts “on the marine environment, commercial fishermen and our fishing heritage.” MLA’s opposition has grown stronger in the past few years under the influence of New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), which is orchestrating conservative anti-OSW campaigns across the East Coast. To break this logjam, the MLCC worked with the country’s only lobstering union, Lobster 207. Though a small fraction of Maine lobster fishers are unionized, the lobstering union has a crucial role in advocating for improved working conditions within the lobstering industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:50
Mass. and Rhode Island pick 3 new wind projects, with less power than originally sought
Massachusetts and Rhode Island announced the winners of their joint offshore wind auction on Friday. While this total is less than half of what the states originally sought to procure, it helps bring them closer to their legally binding offshore wind targets. Friday’s news comes after nearly two years of economic tumult in the industry, when developers up and down 
the East Coast canceled contracts for wind projects, saying they could not make them financially viable because of inflation, higher interest rates and supply chain problems. Still, not everyone is celebrating the news. Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, said he was “shocked” that the New England states are awarding more contracts less than two months after a blade broke off a Vineyard Wind Project turbine. In mid-July, the blade sent tons of fiberglass and foam debris into the ocean. Much of it washed up on the south side of Nantucket, and several beaches had to close while the material was cleaned up. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:20
States to announce Friday if New England is ready for more offshore wind farm
The Captain Les Eldridge used to chase bass and tuna out of New Bedford. Now, the vessel has a new role in the nation’s emerging offshore wind industry. Anthes-Washburn said Coast Line Transfers lost a similar contract with another offshore wind farm last summer, during an industry wide contraction in the U.S. that saw planned wind farms scrapped up and down the East Coast. On Friday, Anthes-Washburn will find out if southern New England is ready to rebuild that pipeline of canceled offshore wind projects. Officials in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are expected to announce whether they are ready to move forward with a series of proposed offshore wind farms that developers submitted through a tri-state solicitation process in March. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:52
U.S. Offshore Wind: The Struggle Continues
This post updates the financial troubles of Denmark’s Ørsted, recent BOEM auctions, and pushback against Maryland governor Wes Moore. Today, operational offshore wind capacity is less than 50 megawatts versus the Biden-Harris Administration goal of 30,000 MW by 2030. Denmark’s Ørsted, the worldwide leading offshore wind developer, recorded a $575 million loss in the second quarter. In part, the loss is the result of disappointing developments in the U.S. The company has delayed commercial operation of its 704-MW Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut from 2025 to 2026. Ørsted’s ambitious U.S. offshore wind program has been lagging, despite solid support (subsidies, permits) from the Biden administration. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06;50
Biden-Subsidized Offshore Wind Developer Reports Massive Losses in Latest Blow to Industry
A Danish renewable energy group booked huge impairment losses Thursday after it pushed back the launch of one of its U.S. offshore wind projects, according to its first-half 2024 earnings report. Orsted estimated the value of its assets declined $472 million in the first half of 2024, largely due to delays at the onshore substation for its 704 megawatt (MW) “Revolution Wind” project off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut, the report showed. The company also reported a variety of other problems, including losses related to its cancellation of its Ocean Wind projects in New Jersey and its abandoned effort to produce eco-friendly methanol in Sweden. “Despite encouraging progress on our US offshore wind project Revolution Wind, the construction of the onshore substation for the project has been delayed,” Orsted’s CEO Mads Nipper said in reference to the delay. “This is, of course, unsatisfactory, and we continue our dedicated efforts to de-risk our portfolio.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:03
CT-based Avangrid wind farm under scrutiny, energy production halted, after blade shatters.
Durham commercial fisherman evaded taxes on $1.4 million in income, IRS says
A Durham man pleaded guilty Wednesday to evading taxes on $1.4 million in income he earned as a commercial fisherman, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Brian Kobus earned the income while working as a commercial fisherman and deckhand for fishing companies in Massachusetts, the IRS said in a news release. The income totaled more than $1.4 million from 2011 through 2013, and 2017 through 2021, according to the IRS. Korbus is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 16 and faces up to five years in prison, the IRS said. The IRS said he also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:42
Annual Blessing of the Fleet Returns to Stonington Borough
As Stonington has done for over 60 years, the St. Mary community will celebrate the annual Blessing of the Fleet. This is to honor present and past commercial fishermen, lobstermen and their families. The traditional celebration returns this year. The annual Blessing of the Fleet will take place beginning at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 28, at St. Mary Church in Stonington Borough to honor and remember those who have died at sea on our local commercial fishing fleet, as well as to honor and bless the vessels–along with their captains, owners, crews and families–that will go out to sea in the year ahead. Following the 10:30 Mass, a procession will take place through Stonington Borough that will include the statue of Saint Peter, the patron saint of fishermen. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:33
Former Lobsterman Thrives With Own Biz, G & C Marine Services
G & C Marine Services Inc., a full-service marine construction company located in Norwalk, Conn., is run by company founder Gary Wetmore and his son, Charlie, who have been in the business for approximately 20 years. In addition to the marine construction side of the business, which includes pile driving, masonry, maintenance and repair, dock building/carpentry and marine salvage, the company also owns a few small commercial fishing vessels targeting a few small commercial fishing vessels such as black sea bass. “Our marine service company has been very successful and that’s quite fortunate for me because it supports my fishing habit,” Gary said with a smile. Years ago, Gary was a lobsterman, however as water temperatures increased, the lobster population migrated north, leaving Gary looking for alternatives to support himself. He took a job working for a marine contractor in the Norwalk area. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:18
The last Connecticut lobstermen: How the LI Sound lobster die-off led to a ‘loss of identity’ for some fishermen
It was the summer of 1978. Then-12-year-old Mike Kalaman approached the captains of two lobster boats on a pier in Westport. This was a common activity for Kalaman, whose father, a mechanic, secured him a job at a family friend’s fish market to keep him out of “trouble.” The Norwalk teen would run down to the boats tied up near the Westport market and fire away questions about the crustaceans that would be sold that day. “You want to see how this is done?” a captain finally asked him. That was the first day of Kalaman’s nearly 50-year career as a lobsterman. “You could go down to any beach anywhere in the state of Connecticut, at low tide, turn over rocks and find baby lobsters. That’s how prolific they were,” he recalls. Then came the die-off. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:47
Editor’s Log: Mitigate This! by Jim Hutchinson, Jr.
Last month I received notification from the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) of a fisheries compensation fund deadline for financial losses stemming from construction of the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm about 13 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, MA. MAFMC clearly recognizes that the construction of a large-scale offshore wind site like Vineyard Wind 1 will result in “financial losses” in the fishing community, yet the only members of the fishing industry eligible to receive compensation apparently are “commercial fishing vessel owners/operators.” Sounds like anglers should keep any eye out while watching late-night television for the best personal injury lawyer able to secure the future compensation we deserve! “The Program was created to provide compensation to commercial fishing vessels/operators for economic losses attributable to construction, operation, and decommissioning activities of Vineyard Wind 1,” the MAFMC notice stated. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:30
Vineyard Wind 1 Fisheries Compensation Program Application Deadline Approaching
This notice is a reminder to commercial fishermen that the eligibility period to apply for the Vineyard Wind 1 Fisheries Compensatory Mitigation Program ends on June 3, 2024. Commercial fishing vessel owners/operators must submit an online application prior to the June 3, 2024, deadline, to be considered for eligibility. The program is open to commercial fishing vessel owners/lessees in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island who can demonstrate historical fishing activities in the lease area, OCS-A 0501, which is south of Martha’s Vineyard. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:00
CT man allegedly flees from police in stolen vehicle loaded with lobster traps
A Connecticut man is facing multiple charges after attempting to flee from police in a stolen vehicle loaded with lobster traps on Wednesday in New London, state police said. A trooper on patrol on Interstate 95 at the Gold Star Bridge spotted an unusual vehicle as it passed by his location around 11:37 a.m. on Wednesday, according to Connecticut State Police. The vehicle, a white 1999 Isuzu NPR, was reportedly loaded with yellow lobster cages. According to state police, the vehicle, which was previously confirmed as stolen out of Narragansett, Rhode Island, fit the description of a car allegedly involved in two evading motor vehicle crashes earlier in the day within New London County. The driver, later identified as 32-year-old Lindsey Brown of New London, allegedly attempted to flee from police, which ended quickly as he crashed into a parked vehicle, state police said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:59
3 New York wind farms scrapped – Cost implications for Mass., Conn., and R.I.
New York pulled the plug Friday on three offshore wind projects that encountered pricing problems after GE canceled the development of a larger turbine that the developers had been counting on. The decision is a setback for the US offshore wind industry and may have some cost implications for Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, which are in the midst of a joint procurement for offshore wind power. The three wind farms proposed for the coast off New York were all tied to a plan by GE Vernova to start producing giant 18-megawatt turbines at a facility on the Hudson River to be subsidized by the state. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:04
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut receive proposals for offshore wind projects
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut received proposals Wednesday for offshore wind projects as the three East Coast states hope to boost their reliance on the renewable energy source. The three states joined in a historic agreement that allows for potential coordinated selection of offshore wind projects. Massachusetts received bids from Avangrid Renewables, South Coast Wind Energy and Vineyard Offshore in response to the region’s largest solicitation to date for offshore wind, seeking up to 3,600 megawatts. more, >>click to read<< 08:07
Mystic Aquarium (the Whale People) expands offshore wind exhibit with youth in mind
In light of New London’s growing offshore wind industry, the Mystic Aquarium expanded its Renewable Ocean Energy Exhibit to educate the region on protective ocean wildlife methods this week. The expansion is in collaboration with Ørsted and Eversource, two developers of Connecticut’s first large-scale offshore wind farm. The offshore wind projects are expected to power up to 70,000 homes on Long Island when completed. The two companies gave the aquarium two grants totaling $1.25 million to study the effects of wind turbines on marine mammals and sea turtles. more, >>click to read<< 12:21
“You saved someone’s life,”- Commercial Fisherman makes dramatic rescue
Near sunset last Nov. 6, commercial fisherman John Genther of Madison was steering his boat back home after a day of catching whelk when he spotted a bright blue object about a half mile ahead in the water. As he maneuvered closer, he realized it was a man wrapped in winter clothing, without a life preserver, clinging to the side of an overturned skiff in 55-degree water. Genther immediately recognized the signs of hypothermia and knew what to do, thanks to a first aid training he completed less than two weeks earlier. “You saved someone’s life,” said Nick Lajoie, commander and chief of response for Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, speaking to Genther and a roomful of attendees at a ceremony on Feb. 8 honoring the heroic act. “It’s a big deal.” more, >>click to read<< 10:22
New Ice Machines Help Bolster Stonington Fishing Industry
“When the boats are fishing hard, each one will take 20 tons of ice per day, so we need the ice production,” said Gary Farrell, dockmaster of Stonington’s town dock, home to a commercial fishing fleet. “… Boats sit at the dock when they can’t get ice. You can’t go out and catch fish unless you got ice to put it on, so this is a big thing for us to get ahead of this.” On Monday, Farrell stood next to two new ice machines installed on the steel platform on the second floor of the dock’s icehouse, which are expected to alleviate the problem. Rob Smith, president of the Southeastern Connecticut Fisherman and Lobsterman Association, which rents the dock from the town, said the ice house was barely providing ice to all the boats in the Stonington fishing fleet — about 10 vessels total — and struggled to supply ice to other vessels. The 40-year-plus career fisherman keeps his vessel, the Carly Grace, a 54-foot dragger, in Stonington. Smith said the dock’s main revenue is selling fuel and ice. more, >>click to read<<14:16
Rare species discovered on Long Island Sound as Maritime Aquarium pulls up abandoned lobster traps
While recovering derelict and abandoned lobster traps from the Long Island Sound, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and colleagues from Williams College and Project Oceanology came across a curious creature typically found across the pond. Known as the European nudibranch, Doris pseudoargus, the tiny yellow specimen was discovered in the Black Ledge region of the Sound, off the coast of Groton. This finding of Doris pseudoargus is the most southern discovery of the species in North America, according to the Maritime Aquarium. more, >>click to read<< 07:22
Connecticut fishermen catch a massive 400-pound Stingray
I don’t know about you, but in my world, stingrays aren’t 400 pounds. In the real world so to speak, it’s just as uncommon for your basic ray, too, so this catch in the Long Island Sound off the Connecticut coast is about as rare as you can get. Truly a ‘whoa’ moment. Our Long Island Sound Trawl Survey crew never knows what they might see on a given day out on the Sound – yesterday was a stand-out example. First, the crew trawled up a HUGE roughtail stingray (Bathytosia centroura): over 6 ft. long, 5 ft. wide, and an estimated 400 pounds! These gentle giants are found along the Atlantic coast from New England to Florida but are relatively rare in Long Island Sound. photos, >>click to read<< 07:30
Offshore wind projects may be cancelled in NJ, according to report
Already facing a series of lawsuits and opposition from state and local officials, Danish wind power developer Orsted is reporting huge financial losses. Those losses, company officials warned, could reach $2.3 billion in the U.S and may force the cancellation of projects of the New Jersey coast. In a conference call with investors, Orsted CEO Mads Nipper told them, “If the walk-away scenario is the economical, rational decision for us, then this remains a real scenario for us.” Orsted is considering “walking away” from or cancelling projects in New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maryland. >>click to read<< 08:48
CT, RI wind farm gets federal decision on environmental plan
One of Connecticut’s first two wind farms reached a major milestone on Tuesday, with the Bureau of Ocean Energy issuing a “record of decision” in the environmental review process for Revolution Wind, a prerequisite clearing the way for construction in the coming weeks. Revolution Wind will be located 15 miles off Point Judith, R.I., with partners Orsted and Eversource planning to sell the electricity generated by wind turbines to Connecticut and Rhode Island. That construction activity includes crews conducting multiple test pits near along the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown, R.I., and at the substation where power from the wind farm will be brought ashore, and then converted for use on the regional electric grid. >click to read< 16:06
CT innovator IDs illegal trawlers with AI and ears in the ocean
With millions of dollars from venture capital investors, a Connecticut startup that emerged from the submarine industry is using artificial intelligence to pioneer new underwater technology, from tracking illegal fishing to protecting whales during construction of offshore wind farms. Miles off the U.S. coast, Groton-based ThayerMahan is readying a nautical network of buoys and roaming sea drones to ID commercial fishing trawlers that may be operating illegally, whether in U.S. territorial waters or those of other nations where catch limits are abused routinely to put pressure on fish stocks. Closer to home in partnership with Hydrotechnik-Luebeck based in Germany, ThayerMahan is assisting offshore wind developers with a system to “bubble wrap” wind turbine monopiles with curtains of sound-absorbing bubbles,,, Photos, >click to read< 16:50
The Financial Viability of New Jersey’s Offshore Wind Farms Possibly in Jeopardy
The final nail in the coffin for offshore wind energy projects on the East Coast might be in danger by the policies of the very same people touting clean energy. Politicians like New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and President Joe Biden, more specifically, their economic policies on energy, inflation, labor and equity could be the foundation for the failure of the very programs they are trying to enable. Inflation, supply chain issues, and the increase in goods and services due to raw materials and crude oil prices could eventually sink their plans for massive offshore wind energy farms. New Jersey is not alone in facing challenges with offshore wind energy. Connecticut’s Park City Wind, an 800-megawatt project, also finds itself in danger. >click to read< 11:37
Falling prices, new regulations leave Connecticut’s whelk fisherman in a pinch
Squeezed by both falling prices and increased regulations, whelk fishermen in Long Island Sound say their industry is facing one of the hardest summers in recent memory. Driven largely by overseas demand, many fishermen turned their attention toward the once-ignored whelk as it became harder to make a living off of lobster and other declining fisheries. After watching the price of whelk soar last year, however, fishermen say the Asian market for the snails has largely dried up, sending prices crashing. Brian Matias, a boat captain who works out of Bridgeport, said he now gets half the price for whelk as he did over the winter, forcing fishermen like him to work longer hours at sea to increase their catch. >click to read< 10:53
70 years and counting: Stonington Blessing of the Fleet returns this weekend
Born in the Azores, an island in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal, Manuel Raymond Rezendes’ grandfather and father came to the U.S. more than a century ago. Members of his family have worked in the fishing industry ever since. A third-generation fisherman, Rezendes said it is difficult to attract younger workers. It is a taxing career with early mornings and long trips, hard labor and extreme danger at times. He’s been struck in the chest with ropes, knocked overboard and has lived to tell the tale. Others, including his grandfather, Manuel “Fayal” Perry Rezendes, have not been so fortunate. “Fishing has been part of our family since as long as I can remember, and it is important to honor the traditions and sacrifices that came with that,” said Rezendes, who will serve as the grand marshal for the 70th annual Blessing of the Fleet this weekend. >click to read< 17:20
Lobster barges have anchored in Greenwich’s Mianus River since the ’70s. The state says they must go.
The dock owners are fighting back. Gus Bertolf Jr., one of the two owners identified by the state, said the docks have been there since the 1970s and that he had not received the removal order when reached by phone on June 30. “The town of Greenwich wants to push me out of my business of commercial lobstering that has been going on for over 50 years,” he said this week. “I make a living off the water and just because I’m not a multimillionaire, they don’t want me to do my business and that’s just not right.” Robert Vissa, the second dock owner identified by the state, also said on June 26 he had not received the removal order. Vissa said he has been a lobsterman on Long Island Sound since 1972. >click to read< 12:01
NC joins pact to cover offshore wind farm related fisheries losses
North Carolina has joined nearly a dozen other East Coast states to create a financial compensation program that would cover economic losses within the fisheries industry caused by Atlantic offshore wind development. The Fisheries Mitigation Project aims to establish a regional administrator to oversee the process of reviewing claims and making payouts collected through a fund paid for by wind developers to commercial and for-hire recreational fisheries industries to mitigate financial loss associated with offshore wind farms. The goal first and foremost of the states is to ensure wind energy areas and the cable systems that will run from wind farms to land are developed in way that would result in minimal impacts to the fisheries industry. >click to read< 10:22
