Offshore Wind Power Advocacy June 29, 2020 4 PM EST Hosted By: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Offshore Wind Power Advocacy

June 29, 2020 4 PM EST Hosted By: Guest Speakers:

Green Energy Consumers Alliance

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Harnessing our power as energy consumers to speed the transition to a low-carbon future.

• Non-profit founded 1982
• Primarily work in Mass. and Rhode

Island

• Programs & Advocacy

Kai Salem, Policy Coordinator kai@greenenergyconsumers.org

Decarbonizing the Grid Is Essential for GHG Reductions

State Policy Driving More OSW

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In RI, 100% Renewable Electricity Executive Order signed January 2020. In MA, renewable electricity will be driven by interim 2030 GHG emissions target, to be determined in the 2050 Roadmap.

Grid decarbonization depends upon OSW

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We need 43 GW, or more than 1 GW per year

Project Capacity State Vineyard Wind 800 MW MA Revolution Wind 400 MW RI Revolution Wind 300 MW CT Mayflower Wind 804 MA Park City 800 CT TOTAL 3,100 MW by 2025 at best

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Nathaniel Mayo, Director of Public Affairs

• Established in 2015
• Based in New Bedford, Massachusetts

with teams in Boston, MA and Bridgeport, CT

• Backed 50-50 by renewable energy

company Avangrid Renewables renewable energy investment fund manager CIP

• Two federal lease areas
• Two projects:
• Vineyard Wind 1
• Park City Wind

WHO WE ARE

Community Engagement

• Local outreach; sensitivity to

community impacts

• Adjusting project design
• Turbine layout
• Removing nearshore turbine

locations

• Lighting
• Onshore construction

Fisheries Engagement

• Extensive pre/post-

construction fisheries research

• Communicating early & often
• Adopted major project design

changes

• Millions in mitigation &

adaptation funding

OUR APPROACH TO RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT

UMass researchers conduct pre- construction fisheries surveys in Vineyard Wind lease areas (2018- present)

Environmental Protection

• Extensive field surveys,

research, public/private collaboration

• Consultation, agreements with

environmental groups Active, Ongoing Consultation

• Indigenous Nations
• Local, State, Federal

regulatory compliance Innovating

• Marine data and monitoring

technology

• Workforce Development

FEDERAL REVIEW

2017 Federal permits submitted 2018 Environmental Review (NEPA) December 2018 Issued Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) August 2019 BOEM pauses

• ffshore wind

permitting; delays building 1st wind farm 2019-2020 BOEM initiates

• ffshore wind

cumulative impact review June 2020 BOEM issues Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS)

• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is lead federal agency
• Other federal agencies participate in review through “One Federal Decision” including

EPA, USCG, Army Corps of Engineers, FAA, NOAA-National Marine Fisheries Service

• Vineyard Wind 1 Permitting Timeline:

East Coast Cumulative Impact Analysis:

• Covers the next 10 years
• 18+ potential wind farms
• Potential 22,000 megawatts

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

• The future of
• ffshore wind
• 18+ future wind

farms

• 22,000 megawatts

powering millions of households on the East Coast

• Federal review covers

BOTH the broad industry impacts and Vineyard Wind project

• Negligible to moderate impacts on resources: bird,

whale, sea bottom, socio-economic, viewshed, cultural resources, etc

• Most “major” impacts are related to design features

that are no longer proposed

• ”Major” impacts associated with cumulative fishing

impact do not assume mitigation; do assume climate change impacts

• VW pledged nearly $40M to offset fisheries losses in

an area chosen for its low fishing impact

VINEYARD WIND 1

SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

CUMULATIVE IMPACT ANALYSIS

• Assumes 22,000 megawatts to

be built (under perfect conditions) in the “reasonably foreseeable future” i.e. 10 years

• Outcome of SEIS process will

influence future of US offshore wind: Advocacy is critical

WHAT’S NEW SINCE 2019 DELAY?

• In response to concerns from the

Commercial Fishing community, Vineyard Wind and other developers agreed to uniform turbine layout with 1x1 nautical mile spacing

• Reduces potential offshore wind

energy by 30% (~13,000MW)

• Creates 200+ corridors for fishing or

transit

• Supported by recent US Coast

Guard Study UNIFORM TURBINE LAYOUT

BOEM CONSIDERING ADDITIONAL TRANSIT LANES:

• Additional transit lanes threaten

project viability, pose technical challenges, and cause further delay

• With additional transit lanes, region

cannot meet clean energy mandates

• US Coast Guard study deemed

additional transit lanes unnecessary

WHAT’S NEW SINCE 2019 DELAY?

• This process began decades ago! The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy

Management began a public stakeholder process in 2010 to identify and lease locations for building offshore wind.

• By 2030, millions of households could be powered by 22,000+ megawatts of

renewable offshore wind energy, in the most densely populated regions on the East Coast

• Extensive environmental reviews have been done by federal, state, and

local regulators and experts

• This is not new technology. 4,000+ Offshore wind turbines power Europe -

Coexistence in the Ocean - Turbines spaced 1+ miles apart = safe, navigable transit and fishing.

• Thousands of jobs will be created across the US with the growth of offshore

wind energy

• Offshore wind is our region’s best opportunity for new sources of energy

KEY MESSAGE TO BOEM

Support the 1x1 nautical mile turbine layout – a compromise proposed in response to commercial fisheries’ concerns Support offshore wind jobs, ratepayer savings, and reduction

• f carbon emissions on a large

scale Support prompt approval. We are in year 20 of pursuit of OSW.

Oppose adding additional transit lanes within wind farms because it

• reduces offshore wind buildout
• massively impairs carbon

reduction potential

• Deemed unnecessary per

recent the US Coast Guard study Stop Delaying! This has been studied and debated for decades

KEY MESSAGE TO BOEM

Take Action for #OffshoreWindPowerNOW

Guide to the Virtual Meetings: 1. Access log-in credentials @ www.Boem.gov/Vineyard-Wind-SEIS-Virtual-Meeting Navigate to “Virtual Meeting Schedule” (circled in yellow) to find “Webinar Link” aka the Virtual Meeting Room 2. Join hearings via: a) Zoom AND phone or b) Phone only 3. Add your name to the speaker queue by dialing *1 to reach an operator 4. Staff will post the names of the upcoming speakers in the Zoom Chat and will announce verbally 5. Ask BOEM questions in a Q&A box on Zoom, or by dialing *1

Submit Written Comments Online or by Mail: DEADLINE July 27, 2020

Take Action for #OffshoreWindPowerNOW

Speak at a virtual hearing: bit.ly/seistalkingpoints Sign & share our petition: bit.ly/seisvineyardpetition Let us know what hearing you will attend: bit.ly/offshorewindpowernow Live Tweet #OffshoreWindPowerNOW during the virtual hearings Write an op-ed or LTE For help, contact me at dipaolon@nwf.org

Nicole DiPaolo dipaolon@nwf.org

Thank you!