The US solar energy market will slow down as Washington shifts its priorities
A report released on Monday by the top solar trade association predicts that the number of new solar energy installations in the United States will decline over the next five-year period as the industry struggles with a federal policy shift favoring fossil fuels and tariffs. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association's and Wood Mackenzie's forecast, new solar capacity in 2030 will be over 10% less than it was in 2025. This includes an assessment of the impact of federal tariffs that will be imposed on steel and aluminum, two materials important for solar projects.
The vote of the US Trade Panel opens the door to imposing stiff tariffs on solar imports
The U.S. International Trade Commission decided on Tuesday that a flood cheap imports from Southeast Asian countries threatened or materially damaged domestic solar panel manufacturers. This decision brings the United States closer to imposing heavy duties on these goods. The three-member ITC voted "yes", meaning that the Commerce Department would issue orders to enforce anti-dumping and countervailing tariffs on solar panels imported from Malaysia. Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. This was a decision the agency made last month. This vote settles a trade dispute that lasted a year…
Top trade group says House bill will choke off US solar investment
A top solar trade association warned that legislation advanced by Republicans last week in the U.S. House of Representatives could threaten 300 solar and energy storage plants and destroy nearly 300,000 American jobs. The Solar Energy Industries Association's analysis comes during a lobbying campaign aimed at convincing U.S. legislators to protect clean energy tax credit, which under the Republican plan will be phased out faster and have new restrictions on using Chinese-made components. Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA's President, said that if this proposal became law, "nearly 300 U.S. plants -- most of them in red states -- would have to close or never open.
Last-ditch lobbying campaign aims to save Biden’s clean-energy tax credit
Trade groups in the U.S. Energy Industry have launched a last minute lobbying campaign to urge Congress to spare former President Joe Biden’s clean energy tax credit from being cut out of the Republican budget plan. The House Ways and Means Committee proposed on Monday that several lucrative subsidies in Biden's signature climate legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act, be phased out or cancelled. Several subsidies related to solar and wind power, hydrogen and other technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions are on the table. Over the next few days, lawmakers will amend and pass the tax package.
US solar industry's strategy for Trump's era downplays climate
The U.S. Solar Industry unveiled their lobbying strategy on Thursday for the incoming Trump Administration. They promoted themselves as a domestic employment engine that could help meet soaring demand for power, without mentioning its role in fighting climate change. The new policy agenda is a dramatic shift for the solar industry, which has been a major beneficiary from the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark climate change law passed by President Joe Biden in 2022. Donald Trump, the President-elect Donald Trump, has promised to repeal the law. This would require Congress to take action.
US Denies Atlantic Seismic G&G Permits
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has denied six pending geophysical and geological (G&G) permit applications to conduct airgun seismic surveys in the Mid- and South Atlantic Planning Areas of the Atlantic Ocean. In announcing its decision BOEM cited a number of factors, including a diminished need for additional seismic survey information because the Atlantic Program Area has been removed from the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. “In the present circumstances and guided by an abundance of caution…
BOEM Oil and Gas Lease Sale: 48m Acres
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper announced the bureau will offer more than 48 million acres offshore Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama for oil and gas exploration and development, in a lease sale that will include all available unleased areas in the Central Planning Area (CPA). “As one of the most productive basins in the world, the Gulf of Mexico remains an important component of our domestic energy strategy to create jobs, foster economic opportunities, and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil,” Hopper said. BOEM will livestream Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 247 on March 22, 2017.
79,000 Acres Offshore New York Auctioned for Wind Energy Development
Furthering President Obama’s comprehensive Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy resources and cut carbon pollution, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper today announced the completion of the nation’s sixth competitive lease sale for renewable energy in federal waters. Today’s lease sale offered 79,350 acres offshore New York for potential wind energy development. The provisional winner of today’s lease sale is Statoil Wind US LLC, which bid $42,469,725 for lease area OCS-A 0512.
New Task Force for California Offshore Renewables
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the State of California held the inaugural meeting of the California Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force today in Sacramento, Calif., to begin planning for future renewable wind and wave energy development opportunities in federal offshore waters along the Golden State. California is the 14th U.S. coastal state to form a renewable energy task force to provide critical information to the decision-making process, including how to resolve potential conflicts between development and environmental concerns and other uses.
Central Gulf of Mexico Acreage up for Grabs - BOEM
As part of the Obama Administration's continued commitment to safe and responsible domestic energy production, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper today announced the bureau will offer approximately 47 million acres offshore Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama for oil and gas exploration and development in a lease sale that will include all available unleased areas in the Central Planning Area (CPA). Proposed Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 247, scheduled to take place in New Orleans in March of 2017…
US Offshore Lease Sale Yields $18 Mln in High Bids
Today’s U.S. oil and gas Lease Sale 248 garnered $18,067,020 in high bids for 24 tracts covering 138,240 acres in the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, announced Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper. A total of three offshore energy companies participated in 24 bids. The sum of all bids received totaled $18,067,020. In this sale, part of the Obama Administration's continued commitment to safe and responsible domestic energy production, BOEM offered 23.8 million acres in federal waters offshore Texas for oil and gas exploration and development.
Another Step toward Wind Energy off California
BOEM assessing competitive interest in proposed floating wind turbine project site offshore Morro Bay, Calif. Signaling a major step forward in supporting wind energy development in federal waters offshore California, U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper announced that the department is issuing a Request for Interest in a lease area requested by Trident Winds, LLC for its proposed 765 megawatt (MW) floating wind energy project. “This announcement represents a significant step in facilitating the responsible development of offshore renewable energy to help California meet its energy needs…
Wind Energy Development Offshore North Carolina Gets a Boost
As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy sources and cut carbon pollution, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper today announced a proposed lease sale for 122,405 acres offshore North Carolina for commercial wind energy leasing. The proposed lease is for the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area, which BOEM identified in consultation with members of its North Carolina Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force. The task force includes membership from federal, state, tribal, and local government partners.
Lease Sale Proposed for Wind Energy Off North Carolina
A new lease sale has been proposed for 122,405 acres for commercial wind energy leasing offshore North Carolina. The proposed lease, announced today by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper as part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, is for the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area, which BOEM identified in consultation with its North Carolina Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force and outreach with stakeholders. “This is an important and exciting milestone in our ongoing efforts to tap the vast wind energy resources along the Atlantic Coast,” said Secretary Jewell.
Plan to Develop Wind Energy Offshore Hawaii Announced
As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop clean energy sources and cut carbon pollution, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced the first step to support wind energy development in federal waters offshore Hawaii, by issuing a call for information and nominations to gauge the wind industry’s interest in commercial wind leases in two areas offshore Oahu. “Today's announcement marks another milestone in the President's plan to support clean, renewable energy from the Nation’s vast wind and solar resources,” said Secretary Jewell.
California Task Force Will Examine Offshore Renewables
Planning is underway for establishing an Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the State of California to examine development opportunities for offshore renewable energy along the Golden State. California Governor Jerry Brown requested formation of the task force in a May 12 letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. The announcement was made during a BOEM-sponsored Offshore Wind Roundtable that brought together representatives from foreign governments, state policymakers, experts in offshore wind, and members of industry to share information on offshore wind development.
BOEM, BSEE Find No Significant Impact from OCS Well Stimulation
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) today published a joint environmental assessment on the use of well stimulation treatments in federal waters off California. BOEM and BSEE completed a comprehensive environmental analysis evaluating the potential impacts from the use of well stimulation treatments on the 23 oil and gas platforms currently in operation on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), and based on the analysis in the Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA)…
Denmark, US to Partner on Offshore Wind
Denmark and the United States have signed a memorandum to strengthen cooperation on offshore wind energy projects, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced. On May 4, 2016 at the Embassy of Denmark in Washington, D.C., Danish Ambassador Lars Gert Lose and BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to recognize their countries' common interests in developing offshore wind as a clean and sustainable energy source. “This is a historic event for our respective countries as we work together to share knowledge, experiences, data and best practices relevant to offshore wind energy development,” said Director Hopper.
BOEM Pushes Wind Energy Development Offshore NY
As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy sources and cut carbon pollution, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper today announced a major step in spurring wind energy development in federal waters offshore New York. BOEM has defined a Wind Energy Area totaling approximately 81,130 acres for potential commercial wind energy development. The area is located about 11 miles south of Long Island.
BOEM Approves Virginia’s Offshore Wind Research
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced its approval of the first wind energy Research Activities Plan (RAP) for a facility to be located in U.S. federal waters, as part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop clean energy sources and cut carbon pollution. Last year, BOEM awarded a research lease to the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Virginia. Today’s action clears the way for the installation and operation of two 6-megawatt (MW) turbines and associated cabling to shore, pending final engineering review of the project.
