On May 17, 2023, the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts granted summary judgment to federal government defendants and intervenor Vineyard Wind in the first of four lawsuits pending in that court challenging the development of Vineyard Wind, a 62-turbine offshore wind project being built off the coast of Massachusetts.
Continue Reading Federal Judge Rules for Vineyard Wind in First of Four Pending Actions
BOEM
First Offshore Wind Energy Lease Sales in the Gulf of Mexico
On February 22, 2023, the US Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Energy Management (BOEM) released its first-ever proposed notice for an offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico.
Continue Reading First Offshore Wind Energy Lease Sales in the Gulf of Mexico
BOEM Publishes Proposed Renewable Energy Modernization Rule
On January 30, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Energy Management published its proposed Renewable Energy Modernization Rule – which is intended to update and modernize the regulations governing wind energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) – in the Federal Register, opening a 60-day comment period.
Continue Reading BOEM Publishes Proposed Renewable Energy Modernization Rule
BOEM Proposes New Regulations for Offshore Wind
On January 12, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Energy Management (BOEM) announced the signature of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) addressing the regulations governing wind energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). As BOEM notes in the NOPR, the first OCS renewable energy regulations were promulgated in 2009 by the Minerals Management Service, the predecessor to BOEM. Through the NOPR, BOEM intends to modernize its regulations by implementing reforms identified by the agency and recommended by stakeholders since 2010, when BOEM was established. Continue Reading BOEM Proposes New Regulations for Offshore Wind
First Offshore Wind Energy Lease Sale in the Pacific Creates Opportunity for Developers
On October 18, 2022, the Department of the Interior announced that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale on December 6, 2022, for areas on the Outer Continental Shelf off central and northern California. This will be the first-ever offshore wind lease sale on America’s west coast and the first-ever US sale to support potential commercial-scale floating offshore wind energy development. …
Continue Reading First Offshore Wind Energy Lease Sale in the Pacific Creates Opportunity for Developers
BSEE Renews Offshore Platform Decommissioning Guidelines
BSEE’s August 2020 update of its Notice to Lessees signals renewed interest in decommissioning of aging oil & gas platforms offshore of California. While so-called “rigs to reefs” in-place decommissioning is a potential option, uncertainty remains surrounding decommissioning methods and timing for platforms, pipelines and related infrastructure located in state and federal waters off the coast of California.
Continue Reading BSEE Renews Offshore Platform Decommissioning Guidelines
Offshore Platform Sustainable Decommissioning – “Rigs to Reefs” Goes Global
From California to the South China Sea, uncertainties surrounding offshore oil and gas platform decommissioning regulations and financial obligations pose a significant risk to the environment and to responsible natural resource development. “Rigs to reefs” decommissioning pioneered in the US Gulf Coast provides a model promising reduced costs, a net reduction in environmental impacts and enhanced ecological benefits; welcomed in some jurisdictions and questioned in others, time will tell whether RTR can deliver its promises.
Continue Reading Offshore Platform Sustainable Decommissioning – “Rigs to Reefs” Goes Global
First Major US Offshore Wind Project Delayed by Fishing Industry Concerns
The United States’ first major offshore wind energy project is running into delays as federal agencies internally debate whether the project plan adequately protects the fishing industry. How the agencies resolve the degree to which the project plan must address the fishing industry’s concerns will shape how future offshore wind energy projects are planned and permitted. …
Continue Reading First Major US Offshore Wind Project Delayed by Fishing Industry Concerns