Offshore Wind Wire

Interior Department Issues Offshore Wind RFI For Delaware Waters

By William Morgan
The Department of the Interior took a major step forward last week with its emerging offshore wind leasing process when it issued the first request for interest for offshore wind.
Interior officials issued the RFI for federal waters near Delaware.  The department’s Minerals Management Service has been holding task force meetings with several states [...]

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Salazar Approves Cape Wind!

By Peter Brennan
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar gave his official approval to Cape Wind today, clearing the way for the nation’s first wind farm to be built on federal submerged lands in Nantucket Sound.
During a noon press conference with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick at the Massachusetts State House, Salazar approved the Cape Wind project, [...]

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Cape Wind Decision Set For Today

By Peter Brennan
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is scheduled to “make a major announcement concerning the Cape Wind project” today at noon, according to the Interior Department press office.  Salazar has been scheduled to make a final decision on the proposed 130-turbine wind farm near Cape Cod by the of April.
The proposed project, which has been [...]

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Chicago Suburb Gives Initial Approval to Lake Michigan Wind Farm

By Peter Brennan
The North Chicago suburb of Evanston, IL, gave its initial approval earlier this week to a proposal to place 40 wind turbines on Lake Michigan.
The plan, which was unanimously approved by the Evanston City Council, will ask developers to submit ideas about building 40 turbines 6 to 9 miles off the Evanston coast [...]

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Virginia Creates Offshore Wind Development Authority

By William Morgan
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed legislation earlier this month creating the Virginia Offshore Wind Project Development Commission to pursue federal funding and remove regulatory obstacles.
“With the creation of the Virginia offshore wind development authority we are taking important steps to make wind energy a reality in Virginia’s coastal waters,” McDonnell said [...]

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New York Sees Strong Interest for Great Lakes Wind Farm

By David McGlinchey
The New York Power Authority received 12 notices of intent from companies interested in building an offshore wind farm in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario or both.
In December, Power Authority officials announced that they were seeking a developer to install as much as 500 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity.  To compete for the [...]

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Historic Preservation Council Opposes Cape Wind

By Peter Brennan
The federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation recommended yesterday that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reject the proposed Cape Wind offshore wind project near Cape Cod because the impacts “are significant, adverse, and cannot be adequately mitigated.”
The Council was required to make a recommendation and Salazar has said that he will consider the Council’s [...]

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Maine Legislation Amended to Focus on Deepwater Wind

By Peter Brennan
An ambitious piece of offshore wind legislation received unanimous support from the Maine Utilities and Energy Committee this week after it was amended to focus on deepwater wind harnessed further from the shore by floating turbines.
LD 1810, An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Governor’s Ocean Energy Task Force, was originally heard [...]

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