Tag Archives: Equinor

LEGAL ACTION INTENSIFIES AGAINST OFFSHORE WIND

A coalition of commercial fishermen, seafood processors, fish buyers and environmental groups from New Jersey to Massachusetts have filed an emergency motion in federal court to halt construction of Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project, citing imminent, irreversible harm to marine life, fishing grounds, the seafood supply chain and coastal economies. The motion seeks a preliminary injunction to immediately halt pile driving and construction activities. Plaintiffs argue the project threatens endangered whales, destroys seafloor habitat, and cripples a multi-generational American industry that provides food, jobs, and economic stability across the East Coast. “To allow Empire Wind to continue construction is to abandon us fishermen and our coastal communities who have, for generations, fed our great country and kept local economies thriving,” said Captain Shawn Machie of the F/V Capt. John in New Bedford, MA. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:55

Grassroots Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Wind Farm Off Long Branch

A coalition of environmental groups and fishing cooperatives has filed a federal lawsuit to block the construction of Empire Wind 1, the offshore wind farm that will be located about 19 miles east of Long Branch. “We are asking the federal court to reinstate the stop work order because the project’s federal approvals were incomplete and failed to safeguard the ecology of our seacoast and the livelihoods it supports,” said lead counsel Bruce Afran in a news release. The stop-work order was reversed in May, just over a month after it was imposed, without explanation from the federal government. Now, the plaintiffs are seeking to block the project entirely, arguing it violates federal environmental regulations, and the lease violates the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) by awarding U.S. offshore territory to a company controlled by a foreign government. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55

NY Wind Farm, 19 Miles off Long Branch, Resumes Construction

Work on the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind farm project has officially resumed following the lifting of a stop-work order issued in April, federal and company officials confirmed this week. Once completed, the 80,000-acre wind farm will be located about 19 miles east of Long Branch and 15 miles south of Long Island. Local opposition to wind farms off the Jersey Shore remains, with some environmental groups and elected officials expressing disappointment with the resumption of construction on Empire Wind 1.   “The Trump Administration capitulated to NY Governor Hochul’s demands to reinstate the paused project without any new protections or improvements for the ocean, including for marine mammals,” said Clean Ocean Action executive director Cindy Zipf. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:40

“FINDERS KEEPERS” – Jim Lovgren.

” I found these notes on the floor at my backroom meeting with the beautiful Governor Hochul. Looks like Equinor, and the Constitution Pipeline Company already got their piece of U, The Don”. 10:45

New York Wind Project Revived With Natgas Quid Pro Quo

A wind project in New York mothballed by the Trump administration is getting a new lease on life through a compromise that would also see an abandoned natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York revived. Norway’s Equinor was three months into Empire Wind, a $5 billion offshore wind farm, when Trump came to power and set about dismantling the Biden administration’s wind power program. On his first day in office, the second-term president issued an executive order pausing new leasing and permitting of wind projects, which he said are ugly, expensive and harmful to wildlife. But Equinor, which recently shifted its focus to oil and gas from renewables, told Reuters that construction can resume on Empire Wind, which is expected to bring power to half a million homes after 2027, following the lifting of a one-month stop-work order. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:53

Equinor Says it Could Lose Billions on Trump’s Offshore Wind Clampdown

Equinor stands to lose billions of dollars on its massive wind power project offshore the state of New York unless U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration reverses a decision to halt the construction, the Norwegian group said on Wednesday. In a blow to the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on April 16 the Biden administration had failed to conduct enough environmental analysis before approving the Empire Wind development. Equinor on Wednesday said the project was about 30% complete at the time it was halted and that it planned to meet with U.S. government officials to seek a reversal of what the company called an unlawful order while it considered its legal options. Links, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:09

Biden green energy project halted by Trump admin relied on rushed, bad science, study finds

A $5 billion green energy project touted by the Biden administration and Democrats was rushed and relied on faulty science that could have resulted in severe negative environmental impacts, a new study found. The Empire Wind Project, which was being developed by energy company “Equinor” and was slated to see the construction of 147 ocean wind turbines off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, was halted by the Trump Department of the Interior in a move announced this week. The project was estimated to cost a total of $5 billion and was being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:27

Trump Admin Halts New York Offshore Wind Project, Orders Review of All Existing Biden-Era Wind Permits

The Trump administration is halting construction of a massive offshore wind project being built in federal waters off the coast of New York and ordering a sprawling review of existing offshore wind permits, the Washington Free Beacon has learned. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Wednesday to order foreign energy developer Equinor to cease all construction activities on its Empire Wind project, according to a memorandum obtained by the Free Beacon. Burgum said the Biden administration green-lit permits for the project and ultimately approved it without conducting proper analysis. “Approval for the project was rushed through by the prior administration without sufficient analysis or consultation among the relevant agencies as relates to the potential effects from the project,” Burgum wrote. He said the halt on Empire Wind will be in effect indefinitely until further review is completed to “address these serious deficiencies.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:31

From metals to seafood: 5 N.L. industries bracing for impact of potential U.S. tariffs

Newfoundland and Labrador industries with strong ties to the U.S. are bracing for impact in the face of President Donald Trump’s 25 per cent tariff threat, but some advocates are calling for a future where companies don’t exclusively rely on a trading partner to the south. On Saturday, the U.S. could impose tariffs on incoming Canadian goods. That has left some Newfoundland and Labrador industries worried. Association of Seafood Producers executive director Jeff Loder said Newfoundland and Labrador’s fishery is at stake under the threat of tariffs. About 90 per cent of snow crab harvested in the province is shipped to the U.S. “The snow crab fishery is set to open in the middle of March. This is already impacting negotiations between ASP and the FFAW. It will be one of the first sectors that’s directly impacted,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:09

One Morro Bay Wind Energy project leaseholder to pause surveying

Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization Vice President Jeremiah O’Brien says his organization recently received a call from a liaison to the Atlas Wind project by Equinor. “They’re pulling back on the whole operation, and they said they might be here in 2026 or 2027,” O’Brien said. Equinor told KSBY a decision was made this summer to prioritize more advanced projects along the East Coast and for the time being, they are pausing surveying of the project. “It’s the best news we’ve had in the last few years,” O’Brien said. “Fishermen can’t fish in an area that’s been occupied by wind,” O’Brien said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:20

BOEM releases potential impacts from offshore wind farm in draft environmental impact statement

The area proposed for the Morro Bay Wind Energy Project is located 20 miles offshore and encompasses around 376 square miles. It lists air pollution from boats, construction, and equipment as one potential impact of the development. That’s a concern for the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization. “There will be little left for the fishing industry and also all of the ships’ traffic and debris,” said Jeremiah O’Brien, Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization Vice President. O’Brien has other concerns with the report also citing an increased risk of injury or death to marine mammals due to vessel strikes and disturbances from underwater noise during construction.  more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:31

Central Coast fishermen sue California Coastal Commission over wind energy

Fishermen from Morro Bay and Port San Luis recently filed a legal challenge against the California Coastal Commission for not requiring wind energy companies to abide by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rules before providing permits for sonar testing, the second lawsuit the groups have filed against the commission. In 2022, the federal government auctioned off three offshore wind energy sites located between 20 and 30 miles off the coast near Morro Bay. Then in Dec. 2023, the state issued a permit allowing survey work to begin. The fisherman organisation’s latest lawsuit, filed on Sept. 6, argues that the Coastal Commission required the wind energy companies, including Equinor, to “have an independent liaison that is responsible for the coordination and communication of site activities with affected commercial and recreational fishing communities and harbor districts.” The fishing liaison is required to work with fishing communities and the harbor districts to coordinate survey and other activities. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:18

Lawmakers seek pause in offshore wind energy amid whale deaths

House lawmakers are seeking a pause in offshore wind energy projects amid a string of whale deaths along the coasts of Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Maine. Last week, a deceased whale beached off Maryland’s coast, the second whale carcass discovered in the area in three weeks. In 2023, 37 humpback whales carcasses were discovered along the East Coast. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) hosted a public hearing in August in which experts testified about the danger installing wind turbines poses marine wildlife. Harris called for an end to offshore wind energy in Maryland. The Government Accountability Office plans to investigate the impacts of offshore wind development after Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J) requested it look into the issues. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:48

‘We’ve Been Steamrolled’: Fishermen Protest Offshore Wind Following Turbine Failure That Shed Debris Into Atlantic

Scores of fishermen took to the seas Sunday to protest offshore wind developments after a damaged wind blade scattered toxic debris off the coast of Massachusetts. The blade, a part of the Vineyard Wind development, broke on July 13, spilling Styrofoam, fiberglass and other debris, some of which ended up on Nantucket’s pristine beaches. The flotilla protested the effects of offshore wind on fish stocks and ocean navigation, with roughly 20 ships making a sixty-mile round trip from New Bedford, Massachusetts, to the site of the broken turbine, Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) and captain of the fishing vessel Teresa Marie. “Vineyard Wind was supposed to be one of the premier offshore wind locations in the United States, and it failed before it even got started,” Leeman said. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:04

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

SLO County judge rules against local fishermen

A San Luis Obispo County judge last week rejected a request from Morro Bay and Port San Luis fishermen for a preliminary injunction to stop wind energy companies from surveying the ocean floor. Signed into law in Oct. 2023, Senate Bill 286 requires the statewide strategy for wind energy to include best practices for addressing impacts to commercial and recreational fisheries. Local fishermen argue wind companies have failed to follow best practices because they have not put protocols in place to protect the fishing industry. San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen found the requirements in Senate Bill 286 vague. Specifically, when the protocols and protections need to be in place: before or after work is completed. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:48

SLO County fishing industry in peril, judge to consider injunction

Geographic survey work by Equinor’s Island Pride last seven days

Fishermen from Morro Bay and Port San Luis are seeking a preliminary injunction to stop wind energy companies from surveying the ocean floor. Local fishermen report catch numbers are down 67% to 70% since one company recently began using sonar off the coast. On Feb. 29, two groups of commercial fishermen filed a legal challenge against the state’s wind energy plans, arguing the process violates their constitutional right to fish. The lawsuit asks the court to revoke survey permits and not to allow any new permits until proper mitigation and protections are in place. Sam Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen found this is a proper case for a preliminary injunction, according to an order to show cause. Judge van Rooyen ordered Equinor to show cause why he should not order the injunction at a hearing scheduled for May 15.  more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:53

It’s Been a Brutal Year for Offshore Wind — Despite Analysts’ Best Guesses

Since the start of 2023, approximately 60% of all contracts signed by American offshore wind developers have been cancelled, according to E&E News. Ørsted, a Danish company and one of the world’s leading offshore wind developers, backed out of two major planned projects in New Jersey in 2023, while other players like General Electric, British Petroleum (BP) and Equinor attempted to renegotiate with state governments as economic headwinds eroded projects’ profitability. Similar developments have played out to start 2024, with developers up and down the east coast backing out of deals to sell power from their projects as the same fundamental economic problems persist despite the projections of some market experts and media outlets. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:57

‘We cannot fish in a wind farm’: Local fishermen file lawsuit over offshore wind project

Many people in Morro Bay have mixed feelings about a planned offshore wind project. Now, a lawsuit has been filed. The Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization and the Port San Luis Commercial Fisherman’s Association claim some rules and regulations related to the project have not been followed. The Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization was incorporated in 1972 and has around 100 members. “We’ve been here for a while and we’ve got an incredibly good reputation in all of those years, and we are very proud of it,” said Jeremiah O’Brien, Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization Vice President. more, >>click to read<< 06:52

Equinor Names California Floating Wind Project

Equinor has announced the name of its floating offshore wind project off the coast of California, Atlas Wind. The lease area, which lies 60 miles from Morro Bay, has the capacity to provide over 2GW of reliable, renewable power, enough to power 1.7 million California homes once complete. California is poised to become a growing force in the US energy transition with a nation-leading target of 25GW of offshore wind energy by 2045.  Approximately two-thirds of the United States’ offshore wind energy potential lies in deep coastal waters, like the Pacific Ocean, where water depths reach 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) or more. more, >>click to read<< 11:36

Proposals could increase wind energy costs 27% to 66%, NYSERDA report says  

A report by the state agency leading New York’s transition into a carbon-free energy grid says requests by wind farm developers to sharply increase what they can charge for the power could potentially be 27% to 66% higher than originally proposed. Wind farm companies requesting the increases previously filed documents with the state that excluded from public release most of the now-released financial information. “The economic impact is far too great,” Michelle Leo, a member of Protect Our Coast Long Island, an opposition group in Long Beach, said in an email in response to the release. “Off-shore wind is clearly too expensive because of the return to the investors …” Equinor is lying to the ratepayers that have crappy political representation. >>click to read<< 12:59

Long Beach council tells Hochul it is ‘fervently opposed’ to wind project

The City of Long Beach is “fervently opposed” to the Empire Wind 2 project that proposes a high-voltage power line through its streets and turbines visible from shore, city officials said in a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul this week. The Monday letter, signed by all five city council members, including president John Bendo, outlined four primary reasons the city stands in “firm opposition” to the project, which Norway-based Equinor proposes to have in service before the end of the decade. Equinor, in a statement, said it was “disappointed” by the letter,,, A spokesman for Hochul’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment. John McNally, a spokesman for the city, said the council was “resolute” in its opposition to the project, and that the letter “speaks for itself.” >click to read< 09:29

Equinor to trial safe fishing with floating offshore wind farm at Hywind Scotland. No Dragging, though.

Hywind Scotland’s operator Equinor and Scottish government agency Marine Scotland will work together to better understand how fishers can safely operate around and within floating offshore wind farms. In a survey scheduled for 2022, Marine Scotland will test three kinds of fishing gear: creels, fish traps and jigging lines at Hywind Scotland.,, California dreaming – Elsewhere in floating offshore wind, BOEM has decided to determine industry interest in developing offshore wind at two sites in a 1,033km2 area off central California,,, >click to read< 22:05

Energy giant to hold forum with fishermen over cross-Sound cable route on Wednesday

#OpposeOceanIndustrialization: Floating structure design for offshore solar plant

Norwegian independent research organization Sintef has been tasked by Norwegian energy giant Equinor, and Vollsveien-based engineering specialist Moss Maritime, a unit of Italian gas contractor Saipem, with testing a model of a prototype of an offshore floating solar plant that Equinor and Saipem want to bring to offshore waters.,,“If we succeed here, we can succeed anywhere,” said, in January, Hanne Wigum, the head of Equinor’s solar and wind tech unit.  >click to read< 12:14

Testing Concepts for Floating Offshore Solar Panels

A unique test is getting underway exploring the potential of floating offshore solar panels as the latest contributor in the search for new renewable energy sources.  Norwegian energy company Equinor, which has already expanded into offshore wind, is collaborating with a developmental energy company, Moss Maritime, to test the solar technology including in the harsh Norwegian environment. “We have been working on this concept for the past three years, most recently through our partnership with Equinor,” >click to read< 13:01

New York Selects Equinor for Largest US Offshore Wind Award

“Together, Equinor and the State of New York will create a robust offshore wind supply chain capable of manufacturing, assembling, and staging these projects at scale. As Equinor works to expand its renewable energy presence across the United States and the globe, New York’s leadership clearly illustrates the transformative benefits of offshore wind on climate goals and economic activity alike,” says Siri Espedal Kindem, President of Equinor Wind U.S.,,, “Governor Cuomo has taken the necessary actions to position New York as a national hub for the U.S. offshore wind industry, >click to read<09:34

Scores more wind turbines proposed for Long Island’s South Shore

Scores more 600-foot tall wind turbines would be built off Jones Beach under a new proposal. Norwegian energy conglomerate Equinor has bid to create another 2,500 megawatts of offshore wind power for New York state and Long Island with two projects. One, which would connect to the local electric grid in Nassau County, would more than double the number of turbines off Long Island to some 200. A second would be built around 50 miles from Montauk Point and connect to the state grid in Queens. The plan would also include conducting assembly work in Brooklyn. >click to read<  10:42

BP, Equinor Partner to Develop Offshore Wind Farms off New York, and Massachusetts

Two of Europe’s largest oil companies will develop offshore wind projects jointly in the U.S. in yet another example of energy giants migrating towards the development of renewables. Equinor of Norway, and has entered into an agreement to sell a 50% stake in two of its U.S offshore wind farm projects to Britain based BP for $1.1 Billion. Empire Wind, located just southeast of the Long Island coast, spans 80,000 acres, with water depths of between 65 and 131 feet. Beacon Wind is located 20 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and covers 128,000 acres. >click to read< 15:40

Bob Guzzo Talks Quotas, Offshore Wind, Coronavirus, and Fishing out of Stonington, Connecticut

“We’re giving up traditional fishing grounds that we’ve had for hundreds of years, that have fed the country, that are now going to light a light bulb and it’s not going to be worthwhile,” Guzzo said of the proposed wind farms located in federal waters. The location of the wind farms also destroys longtime fisheries, said Guzzo. “They’re taking away places that we’ve fished for this country over hundreds of years and we’re losing that ground,” he said.,, Quotas and Coronavirus, “I got tired of throwing fish overboard, I could never stand it. I started too long ago and never had to do this. The way they make you fish today is a crime,” >click to read< 08:01