Ørsted submits bid to build NJ’s first offshore wind farm

Orsted project, Buro Bank, in Liverpool Bay on the Irish Sea, powers more than  80,000 UK homes annually

Press release in the Cape May County Herald:
ATLANTIC CITY – Ørsted submitted a bid to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) Dec. 28 to build its Ocean Wind project in response to the first offshore wind request for proposal under Gov. Phil Murphy’s clean energy agenda, according to a release.
Ørsted has pioneered and refined the approach to developing and constructing offshore wind farms since it launched the world’s first offshore wind farm in 1991.
Ørsted owns and operates the Block Island Wind Farm, America’s first offshore wind farm, and has a comprehensive geographic coverage with the largest development capacity, totaling more than 8 gigawatts in seven states.
The proposed Ocean Wind project would be located 15 miles off Atlantic City, a significant distance away from the coastline and residential communities.
Should Ocean Wind receive approval from the NJBPU, Ørsted will work with Public Service Enterprise Group’s non-utility affiliates, which would provide energy management services and potential lease of land for use in project development. PSEG, which has a long history in New Jersey as well as a decade-long partnership with Ørsted, will have the option to become an equity investor in the project.
“Today is an important milestone in the state’s desire to build out its renewable energy portfolio,” stated Thomas Brostrøm, CEO of Ørsted US Offshore Wind and president of Ørsted North America.
“As the global leader in the development of offshore wind, we are confident in our ability to deliver a comprehensive, competitive project that will help Gov. Murphy achieve his goal of 3,500 megawatts of offshore wind by 2030, while boosting the economy and creating jobs,” he continued.
“We are pleased to continue supporting Gov. Murphy’s clean energy agenda,” stated Ralph Izzo, PSEG’s chairman, president and CEO. “New Jersey is fortunate to have excellent offshore wind resources. If approved Ocean Wind would provide substantial environmental benefits, as well as generate significant economic activity in the state.”
As presented in its proposal to the NJBPU, the Ocean Wind project will:
Deliver on Gov. Murphy’s goal of a sustainable offshore wind supply chain with the first permanent offshore wind manufacturing jobs in America in addition to the creation of up to 1,000 annual construction jobs within the state, providing significant opportunities for high-quality, skilled labor jobs from the South Jersey building and construction trades.
Make significant investments in New Jersey’s offshore wind fabrication, construction, and maintenance infrastructure — all of which will create long-term job potential and reduce the cost of future offshore wind farms in the region.
Provide more than half a million New Jersey homes with clean, reliable and stable-priced power.
Deliver a credible timeline as it’s the most mature project based on years of significant site investigation, permitting and interconnection work. This allows Ørsted to deliver on the economic, environmental and energy system benefits years before others can.
Establish the “Ocean Wind Pro-NJ” Grantor Trust (Pro-NJ Trust), which will support Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women Business Enterprises (WBE) and/or small businesses entering the offshore wind industry. The fund also will support investments in infrastructure resiliency projects throughout South Jersey.

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NJBPU seeks input on transistion to new solar program

Kevin Randolph reports for the Daily Energy Insider:
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) staff
issued Wednesday a straw proposal to assist in the transition
from the current Solar Renewable Energy Certificate (SREC)
Program to a new system.

© Shutterstock
The Clean Energy Act, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed in May,
required NJBPU to adopt new rules and regulations and close
the SREC program to new applications when 5.1 percent of
the electricity sold in New Jersey by each electric power
supplier and each basic generation provider comes from solar
electric power generators.
“New Jersey’s solar program has been a great success story,”
NJBPU President Joseph L. Fiordaliso said. “Just recently we
surpassed 100,000 solar installations, placing us in the
nation’s top ten for home and business solar installations. It is
our goal to create a new system that allows solar to thrive
while at the same time protecting New Jersey ratepayers.”
In the straw proposal, the board released a series of
stakeholder questions and invited interested parties to provide
input on the transition and SREC Successor Program. The public
stakeholder process will take place in the first half of 2019.
On Dec. 18, the Board adopted a rule initiating the process of
phasing out the current SREC program and developing a new
system that will build upon the state’s current solar process.

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Philly could join 19 NJ cities that banned plastic bags

Dana Bate reports for Plan Philly:
This might be the year when the public — in the Philadelphia region and across the globe —  started to realize where many of our plastic bags and straws end up.
There was the story of the beached sperm whale killed by 64 pounds of trash, much of it plastic bags.
There was the viral video of the sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck up its nose (a video that was, in fact, from 2015 but was shared by tens of millions of people this year).
Even this year’s Earth Day focused on plastic pollution and the damage it does to marine life and our waterways.
“I think 2018 really became, at least from my vantage point, the year that people started to really realize the tremendous amount of problems that we’re facing from plastic,” said Logan Welde, staff attorney for the Clean Air Council. “And, specifically, single-use plastic.”
According to the Clean Air Council, Philadelphians go through about a billion plastic bags per year. Many are discarded on the streets — and then they’re washed down into the sewers. Due to the city’s combined sewer system, they often end up in waterways, where they endanger aquatic life and other wildlife.
City Councilman Mark Squilla plans to propose a bill next year to restrict single-use plastic bags in the city, but the details of the measure are still being worked out.
“Are we doing a ban? Are we doing a fee? It’s still very much up in the air,” said Sean McMonagle, Squilla’s legislative assistant.
“We also have to worry about those that can’t afford the bag fee or a total ban on bags,” he said, adding that low-income residents often can’t afford a reusable bag. His office has discussed various options, including providing bags for those using SNAP benefits or doing giveaways in certain geographical areas.
“It’s all things that we still have to spell out,” McMonagle said.
Other cities and towns in the region are ahead of Philadelphia when it comes to banning or restricting single-use plastics. The borough of Narberth, just outside Philadelphia, issued an ordinance this summer that will require a 10-cent fee on plastic bags and bans plastic straws, with exceptions for disabled customers who may need them.
“Even a small borough like Narberth has a big effect because it shows that people care about it,” said Welde. “And it also shows that there will be a domino-type effect of legislation.”
In New Jersey, 19 municipalities regulated plastic bags in 2018, including Shore towns Belmar, Avalon and Stone Harbor, as well as the cities of Hoboken and Jersey City. Some of the bans and restrictions went into effect in 2018, while others will go into effect next year, beginning as early as Jan. 1, in the case of Brigantine Beach.
“What’s starting to change is people are realizing that towns have the power to do this,” said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. “And what I think is also starting to change is there’s also a rising public consciousness that the plastics we use in our everyday life don’t just disappear when we’re done with them.”

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NJ Senate President reminds them who’s in charge

                                NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney Photo by Kevin Sanders for New Jersey Globe

Reshuffling gives Gopal committee chairmanship
David Wildstein reports for New Jersey Globe:

Senate President Steve Sweeney is reshuffling some Senate committee assignments, removing Brian Stack (D-Union City) and Nia Gill (D-Montclair) from the Judiciary Committee and replacing them with Joseph Lagana (D-Paramus) and Troy Singleton (D-Palmyra).

Stack is also losing his seat on the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
Singleton will become the chairman of the Community and Urban Affairs Committee.  He will replace Jeff Van Drew (D-Dennis), who is resigning from the Senate next week to take his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“New Jersey’s communities – whether urban, rural or suburban – continue to face unique challenges which require innovative solutions,” said Singleton. “I am honored to serve in my new role as Chair of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee to ensure that future policies are not only well-intentioned but also have a positive impact.”
Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) will replace Singleton as chairman of the Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Gopal, who defeated three-term State Sen. Jennifer Beck last year, has seen a meteoric rise in the Senate.  He was named Majority Caucus chairman after Bob Gordon resigned to join the Board of Public Utilities and is now poised to take on a committee chairmanship.|
State Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) will succeed Gill as vice chair of the Judiciary panel.
The move against Stack comes after the Hudson County Democrat, once a staunch Sweeney ally, sided with Gov. Phil Murphy during the state budget battle and on legislative redistricting.
“It’s never been about the titles or the committees.  It’s always about the people,” Stack told the New Jersey Globe.  “I am honored to be the senator from the 33rd.”
The changes means that Sweeney will now have selected the most diverse team of committee chairs in Senate history, with 40% of the Senate chairmanships will be held by Black, Hispanic and South Asian senators.

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NY Department of Conservation Shellfish Newsletter

Shellfishing Newsletter

Opening of Conditional Shellfish Harvesting Programs

Commercial shellfish harvesters digging for clamsShellfish harvesting is only allowed from waters that are monitored and designated safe for human consumption. Shellfish that live in areas with degraded water quality have a higher chance of possessing bacteria and toxins that can make people sick. To protect consumer health, NYSDEC completes year-round water quality analyses to determine and classify shellfish harvest areas as open or closed.
Under certain conditions, water quality can improve to the point where these normally closed areas meet the sanitation standards for certified shellfishing areas. Conditional harvesting programs allow shellfish diggers to take shellfish from areas that are usually classified as uncertified, which means closed for shellfish harvesting. Conditional programs operate during colder months, usually from mid-December through mid-April, when bacteria levels in the water are lower and there is less rainfall-related runoff.
Shellfish harvesters are responsible for knowing the daily status of a program and should always call the program phone number before going out to harvest. Please review each program’s specifications for information about daily status and how to participate.
Conditional programs currently open:

The following programs are still under consideration for 2018-2019:

  • North Sea, Town of Southampton
  • Narrow River, Town of Southold

Recreational & Commercial Harvest Limits

Clams, oysters, mussels and scallops may be taken only from areas certified as open for the harvest of shellfish. Check the of Official Descriptions of all Shellfish Closures for uncertified (closed) areas.
Check with the local town for information to acquire shellfishing permits in your area. In addition to town permits, if you are commercially harvesting shellfish in NYS you must also possess a Shellfish Digger Permit. Additional NYS commercial licenses may be required depending on the method and species harvested. Contact the Marine Permit Office (MPO) at (631) 444-0470 or by email for further information.
Below are the harvest limits for shellfish:  

Species Size Recreational Limit Commercial Limit
Hard clam 1 inch across hinge *100 clams Any number
Soft clam 1 1/2 inches in length *1/2 bushel Any number
Oyster 3 inches longest diameter *1/2 bushel Any number
Blue mussel None *1/2 bushel Any number – some exceptions; contact NYSDEC MPO
Bank mussel None 1 bushel Any number
Bay scallop 2 1/4 inches in length from mid hinge to mid bill and shows an annual growth ring 1 bushel 10 bushels/person
or
20 bushels/boat
Sea scallop None 1 bushel Any number
Surfclam 3 inches
4 inches in Atlantic Ocean for use as food		 1 bushel Permit required; contact NYSDEC MPO
Ocean quahog None 1 bushel Permit required; contact NYSDEC MPO

*Please remember the total daily harvest of clams, blue mussels and oysters may not exceed one bushel for recreational purposes.
For more information on harvesting and gear restrictions visit our website.

Shellfish Public Mapper

Try our new and easy to use NYSDEC Public Shellfish Mapper to better understand shellfish harvesting areas that are currently open and closed.
This interactive map shows regulatory closures, temporary closures, conditional harvesting programs, shellfish harvest zones, aquaculture lease sites and water sampling stations.
If using this website on your phone while out in the field and you have your location service turned on, the site will show where you are in relation to the closures. Remember, this map is for reference only and you must look at our regulations page for the legal descriptions of the closures.

Visit Shellfishing for more information about harvesting shellfish in New York!


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PSEG files for a whopping $900M to keep the lights on

If BPU approves filing, ratepayers could shell out $900 million over three years, but independent market monitor says units will operate in the black through 2021


salem creek nuclear


Credit: Creative Commons



Tom Johnson reports
for NJ Spotlight:
PSEG Nuclear yesterday became the first nuclear plant owner to seek hundreds of millions of dollars in ratepayer subsidies to keep its three generating units in South Jersey open.
In a voluminous filing with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities that filled nearly 200 boxes, the company is seeking to be awarded so-called zero-emission certificates, which are subsidized by a surcharge to be added to all utility customers’ bills. The filing could cost $300 million a year over the next three years, if approved.
After business hours yesterday, no other company had filed an application with the BPU to qualify for the subsidies, according to a spokesperson for the agency. Nuclear plants outside New Jersey are allowed to seek the credits under the law.
The proposed subsidies are part of a measure signed by Gov. Phil Murphy last spring after a bitter legislative battle that Public Service Enterprise Group, the parent of PSEG Nuclear, mounted to prop up its nuclear plants. Without new financial incentives, the company argued the plants faced the prospect of closing.

PSEG claims closing plants would spike bills

Nationwide, six nuclear plants have closed prematurely in recent years as they faced steep economic challenges stemming from cheap natural gas in a competitive energy marketplace. If PSEG closes its plants, consultants for the company contend they would be replaced by fossil-fuel units that would spike ratepayer bills by as much $400 million.
But critics of the proposed subsidies have argued that PSEG has yet to provide any information that its plants are not profitable. Those arguments have been fortified by Joseph Bowring, the independent market monitor for PJM, the operator of the nation’s largest power grid.

PSEG files for a whopping $900M to keep the lights on Read More »