Legislation That Would Fund Offshore Wind Efforts at Calif. Ports Introduced

Legislation That Would Fund Offshore Wind Efforts at Calif. Ports Introduced

California state Assembly members Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) and Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) on Feb. 7 introduced AB 2208, a bill seeking voter approval for a proposed $1 billion bond to fund seaport infrastructure for potential offshore wind energy projects. “To meet our climate goals, we need to produce enough offshore wind energy to power up to 25 million homes by 2045,” Zbur told Los Angeles' ABC News affiliate. “The cost of improving our ports to enable them to assemble these massive turbines is a multibillion-dollar effort.” “This $1 billion bond,” he continued, “sends the signal that…
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BOEM to Hold Meetings on California Offshore Wind Development

BOEM to Hold Meetings on California Offshore Wind Development

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has scheduled two meetings to gather feedback on the possible environmental effects associated with future offshore wind lease development off the California coast. Both meetings are to take place virtually. The first meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. PT on Feb. 6 (Registration Link). The second meeting is set for 5 p.m. PT on Feb. 8 (Registration Link). BOEM, which is managing federal oversight authority on two leases in Northern California off Humboldt County and three in Central California near Morro Bay, is preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, a document that looks at…
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Crowley Forms New Offshore Wind Venture with Investment Firm

Crowley Forms New Offshore Wind Venture with Investment Firm

Morgan Stanley Investment Management, through Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, is bolstering Crowley Maritime’s offshore wind efforts under a newly formed joint venture that was announced Aug. 24. The move allows Crowley Wind Services Holdings to run the business of offering “end-to-end maritime and logistics capabilities” and lean on the fiscal know-how of Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, which plans to manage the investment funds and have a majority stake in Crowley Wind Services. “The partnership of our two companies will help lead the growth of the wind energy sector and provide clean, renewable energy for the U.S. through high-quality maritime and…
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BOEM’s Wind Energy Auction for Five Leases Off California Announced

BOEM’s Wind Energy Auction for Five Leases Off California Announced

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s wind energy auction for five leases off the California coast yielded “competitive high bids totaling $757.1 million from five companies,” the Department of the Interior announced Dec. 7. A first for the region, the sale of five lease areas encompassing 373,268 acres off Central and Northern California surpassed the initial lease sales that took place in the Atlantic region, the department said. The five companies and their bids are:     Lease Area   Acres   High Bid   RWE Offshore Wind Holdings, LLC    OCS-P 0561      63,338     $157,700,000    California North Floating,…
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Foss to Open East Coast Terminal Supporting Offshore Wind Projects

Foss to Open East Coast Terminal Supporting Offshore Wind Projects

Seattle-based Foss Maritime is teaming up with Cannon Street Holdings LLC to redevelop a 30-acre former Sprague/Eversource site at the Port of New Bedford in Massachusetts into the New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal, Foss has announced. The terminal, set to open in March 2023, is designed to support offshore wind projects off Massachusetts and the northeastern coast seaboard by providing office space for project teams, coordination space for project technicians and yards for storing and laying down equipment and materials, as well as “berth facilities for tug and barge operations, and host crew transfer vessel and service operation vessel support…
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