EnviroPolitics Blog

All new Maersk ships will be able to run on carbon-neutral fuels

By Jack Wittels, Bloomberg Green

A century after the global shipping fleet ran largely on coal, the world’s largest shipping line is taking a historic step toward not using fossil fuels for propulsion.

All newly constructed vessels owned by A.P. Moller-Maersk will have to be able to use carbon-neutral fuels, such as clean methanol and ammonia, as well as traditional oil-based products, the company said in a statement. The shift comes just three months after the industry’s main regulator set new decarbonization rules that were criticized for their lack of ambition.

“If you don’t do this, ten years from now we risk becoming irrelevant,” said Morten Bo Christiansen, vice president and head of decarbonization at Maersk. “Our customers need us to do this.”

Alongside ammonia and clean forms of methanol, Maersk said so-called alcohol lignin blends were another primary candidate for future fuels.

Liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which has been embraced by some other shipping lines, is not part of Maersk’s strategy: “We don’t need another fossil fuel,” Christiansen said.

About half of Maersk’s 200 biggest customers have set science-based or zero-carbon carbon targets for their supply chains, or are in the process of doing so. The firm wants to have net-zero emissions from its operations by 2050, and helped found a research center focused on decarbonizing the industry.

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Pascrell, Rice lead NJ, NY members demanding federal action on offshore wind energy

From a Congressional news release

U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Kathleen Rice (D-NY-04) today led a bipartisan contingent of New Jersey and New York lawmakers requesting urgent action on offshore wind development.

The Members sent a letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), a federal agency within the Department of the Interior, requesting that the agency designate final Wind Energy Areas in the New York Bight and hold new lease auctions for potential developers.

“Growing America’s offshore wind industry is a vital path to reducing our reliance on dirty fossil fuels and modernizing America’s infrastructure for future generations. Right now under Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey is leading the way in expanding clean energy, especially for offshore wind,” said Rep. Pascrell. “I look forward to working with President Biden’s administration to build on his offshore wind commitments that will support jobs and fight the negative impacts of climate change. I was proud to see my offshore wind tax incentive enacted into law in the year-end relief bill, and am pleased to partner with Rep. Rice to lead our delegations in encouraging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to help our state and region. Because at the end of the day, protecting our planet for our children and grandchildren must be our ultimate goal.”“

As a leader in the fight against climate change, New York State has legally committed to generating 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035–enough energy to power up to six million homes,” said Rep. Rice. “But there is no way that New York, New Jersey, or any other state can meet ambitious goals unless the federal government issues new wind energy area designations. The prolonged delays that we experienced during the Trump Administration stalled efforts at the state level, harming both the environment and the economy in the process. That’s why I led this letter with Congressman Pascrell and our delegation colleagues demanding action and requesting a briefing with BOEM to get the ball rolling again. I’m confident that the Biden Administration will heed our call for action and follow through on its promise to prioritize offshore wind.

”The Biden Administration has already taken positive steps related to offshore wind. On January 27, President Biden signed an executive order directing the Interior secretary to identify steps to double offshore wind production by 2030.“The U.S. needs a post-COVID economic recovery and holding an offshore wind lease sale in the New York Bight is a significant step towards a tremendous energy and economic opportunity,” said Erik Milito, President of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA). “It has been more than two years since the most recent offshore wind lease auction. BOEM should issue the final Wind Energy Areas (WEA) and hold lease auctions in the New York Bight as quickly as possible. NOIA thanks Representatives Rice and Pascrell and the other signatories for their leadership in advancing new wind opportunities for our nation.”

“The tides are shifting towards the clean energy economy,” said Mariah Dignan, Long Island Organizer for Climate Jobs NY. “With the White House laser-focused on taking action on climate by creating thousands of good union jobs, we can kick- start that here with new offshore wind lease areas in the NY bight.”

The letter was also signed by: U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Albio Sires (NJ-08), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Tom Reed (NY-23), Donald M. Payne Jr. (NJ-10), Grace Meng (NY-06), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Thomas R. Suozzi (NY-03), Joseph D. Morelle (NY-25), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15)

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Bill extending NJ Infrastructure Bank funding to aviation and marine projects set for final Senate vote tomorrow

Measure Also Makes Changes Inspired by COVID-19

(TRENTON) – Legislation to expand the purview of the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) and make changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is scheduled in the State Senate tomorrow. In December, it passed the Assembly, 79-0.

The NJIB is an independent State financing authority which supports the construction of environmental and transportation infrastructure projects across New Jersey. The bill, A5057, would authorize the NJIB to also finance aviation and marine projects, as well as make it easier for NJIB to provide emergency, relief or disaster loans to clean water, drinking water or transportation projects in the event of an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill also would make general changes to the program to make certification requirements more consistent, align loan maturity requirements with federal standards and allow NJIB to sell bonds via negotiated sale without constraint of a failed competitive sale.

Sponsors of the bill, Assembly Democrats Joseph Danielsen (D-Middlesex, Somerset), Shanique Speight (D-Essex) and Adam Taliaferro (D-Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland) released the following joint statement:

“The NJIB acts as a vehicle to help get vital infrastructure across the finishing line. Expanding the scope of NJIB programs to include aviation and marine projects will create jobs, boost our economy and strengthen our infrastructure. Also, as we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, our agencies must always be prepared to respond to public emergencies. This bill will ensure the NJIB has the authority and tools it needs to provide relief in times of crisis.”

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PA Environmental Quality Board Feb. 16 meeting cancelled

Today’s scheduled meeting of the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) has been cancelled.

EQB meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month. Meetings will only be held when there is a sufficient number of agenda items for consideration. Until further notice, all meetings will be held as virtual and will convene at 9:00 a.m. The meeting dates are as follows:

February 16, 2021 – Canceled
March 16, 2021
April 20, 2021
May 18, 2021
June 15, 2021
July 13, 2021
August 17, 2021
September 21, 2021
October 19, 2021
November 16, 2021
December 21, 2021
Contact: Laura Griffin, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Quality Board, P.O. Box 8477, Harrisburg, PA, 17105-8477, laurgriffi@pa.gov, (717) 772-3277

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#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

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Hoboken Gets Two Parcels for Open Space in Settlement with Ironstate Development

The Mile Square City is slated to acquire almost three acres of property they hope to turn into parks as part of an agreement with a local company, who in exchange will redevelop a block of Observer Highway.

15th Street Pier, Hoboken. Image via Google Maps.

By Chris Fry, Jersey Digs

During their February 3 meeting, Hoboken’s city council approved a deal that should end longstanding litigation with Ironstate Development. The lengthy dispute was triggered around a 1.4-acre pier at 15th Street and Sinatra Drive upon which the company wished to build a 78-unit project called The Monarch that would consist of two 11-story towers.

The Monarch Now Defunct Development Proposal Hoboken

The now-defunct development, The Monarch. Rendering via The Fund for a Better Waterfront.

The proposal has been tied up in litigation since the early part of the last decade, but a settlement that would shelve The Monarch plans was reached in 2019. Under that deal, the city would receive title to the 15th Street pier “as is” plus a $500,000 payment from Ironstate toward improvements at the property.

The latest settlement approved by the council doesn’t change the details regarding the pier, but additionally includes the transfer of another 1.4 -acre plot at 800 Monroe Street. Ironstate will be turning over that property to Hoboken under the deal, which essentially tables a proposal we reported on early last year that involved a 10-story building with 186 rental units.

Site of proposed redevelopment: 800 Monroe Street, Hoboken. Photo by Chris Fry/Jersey Digs.

In exchange, the city will remit control of their current Department of Public Works Garage site to Ironstate. The company will be permitted to develop a new 165-foot-tall building at the block-long property, which can also include 4,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial retail space and parking for residents. The settlement requires 11% of the building’s units to be set aside as affordable housing, slightly higher than the city’s 10% standard.

Ironstate will not be required to build the city a new municipal garage at the site under the new deal, which was a requirement before the settlement was approved. The company instead will be contributing $1 million toward a temporary DPW garage in a northwest Hoboken location to be determined later.

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