The Wyoming Industrial Siting Council has approved the necessary state permit to construct and operate the state’s largest wind farm. On August 8, 2014, the Power Company of Wyoming LLC (PCW) announced that a seven-member panel of Wyoming’s Industrial Siting Council (ISC) unanimously approved PCW’s application for a major non-federal permit required to move forward…...
DOE has issued its final Environmental Impact Statement for a 336-mile electric transmission system between the United States and Canada, clearing the way for final Presidential Permit issuance. On August 11, 2014, Transmission Developers Inc. announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for its proposed Champlain Hudson Power…...
The United States is set to begin construction this year on its first offshore wind farm – the Cape Wind Project, led by Cape Wind Associates, LLC – located off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The 130-turbine, 468 MW Cape Wind Project would more than quadruple Massachusetts’ current wind power capacity (Figure 1),…...
IRS Notice 2014-46 provides additional eligibility clarification for renewable energy tax credits and lowers the Safe Harbor requirement from 5 percent to 3 percent. On August 8, 2014, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released guidance (Notice 2014-26) providing additional clarification regarding eligibility requirements for the renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC)…...
The Department of Interior has issued a proposed sale notice of approximately 344,000 acres in the New Jersey Wind Energy Area. On July 21, 2014, the Department of Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) published a Proposed Sale Notice for commercial wind energy leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore New Jersey. The…...
DOI has scheduled a lease sale for approximately 80,000 acres in the Maryland Wind Energy Area, estimated to support up to 1,450 MW of commercial wind generation. On July 3, 2014, the Department of Interior (DOI) announced that approximately 80,000 acres offshore Maryland will be offered for commercial wind energy development in an August 19…...
DOE has announced a conditional $150M loan guarantee commitment to the proposed Cape Wind offshore wind project. On July 1, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a conditional loan commitment to Cape Wind Associates, LLC. to construct the Cape Wind offshore wind project off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The proposed Cape Wind…...
A 742,000 acre zone offshore Massachusetts will be available for commercial wind energy leasing, doubling the federal offshore acreage available for wind development. On June 17, 2014, the Department of Interior (DOI) announced the availability of more than 742,000 acres offshore Massachusetts for commercial wind energy leasing. The proposed wind energy area (WEA) – located…...
The New York State Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative aims to answer the question of how to proceed with New York’s energy future in the face of aging electric generating plants and the need for a more resilient energy infrastructure. Overview The initiative – announced by Governor Cuomo in April 2014 – tasks the…...
Multiple energy industries rely on federal tax incentives to spur private investment in commercializing renewable technologies. However, the periodic expirations of these tax credits have led to business uncertainty and an inability to make long-term planning decisions. The most recent Senate extender bill – the Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act of 2014…...
DOE has announced funding for three offshore wind demonstrations focused on deployment of grid-connected systems in U.S. waters. On May 7, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced $141M in funding for three pioneering offshore wind demonstration projects aimed to deploy innovative grid-connected systems in federal and state waters by 2017. The proposed projects –…...