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mightyflamethrower · 10 months

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America’s Wind Industry Implodes: More Offshore Projects Scrapped

In the US the offshore wind industry is completely underwater, in every sense. The insane cost of attempting to (occasionally) generate electricity with no commercial value in hostile marine environments has finally caught up. Projects are being scrapped in the same way that punters rip up their betting slips when their long-shot nag fails to place.

Hubris is never far away when it comes to crony capitalists and rent-seekers promoting projects that were always too good to be true. That hubris worked a treat while gullible governments were merrily forking out endless streams of taxpayer’s money to prop up one of the greatest Ponzi schemes, of all time.

However, in recent times the politics of power have turned toxic. Power consumers are increasingly hostile to their ever-escalating power bills. With one eye firmly on the ballot box, politicos have rejected calls for even more massive subsidies from wind power outfits in the form of fixed-priced contracts at ludicrous prices – that would ultimately be added to those already crippling power bills.

All of that means wind power outfits are being squeezed on both sides – with rising construction and operating costs and shrinking subsidies (in real terms, at least).

Call it the beginning of the end, but things look less than rosy for the cats who have been wallowing in oodles of other people’s money for almost 20 years – as these pieces from the New York Post explain.

Collapse of projects shows again that wind power is not affordable New York Post James Hanley 2 November 2023

The renewable-power fantasy is being blown apart by furious financial headwinds.

Already this year projects have tumbled in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, and now Danish wind-power giant Ørsted has canceled two wind farms in New Jersey.

Over and over, the litany of causes is the same: inflation, higher interest rates that drive up capital costs and severe kinks in the supply chain.

These same problems are slamming proposed offshore-wind projects in New York as developers make final decisions on whether to start building turbines or cut their losses before they get worse.

Seeing that the wild cost increases threaten to make their projects unprofitable, these companies went hat-in-hand to the state’s Public Service Commission asking for increases of 35% to 65% on the price of electricity they hope to generate.

But the commission declined to dig deeper into ratepayers’ wallets, sending them away empty-handed.

The four companies behind these prospective wind farms have all taken big hits to their balance sheets. Equinor has written its value down by $300 million.

All this chaos caused a top BP executive to lament that the offshore-wind industry is “fundamentally broken.”

Indeed — and yet this broken industry is what New York’s climate activists have pinned their clean-energy hopes on.

If offshore wind had to compete on the free market, we wouldn’t even be talking about it.

The levelized cost of energy from natural gas is around $37 per megawatt hour.

The contracts the wind-energy companies struck with the state sets offshore wind’s price at $118 per megawatt-hour, three times as expensive as gas but still not enough to make turbines turn a profit.

To get out of the red, the firms had begged the PSC to jack up the price to between $140 and $190 per megawatt-hour.

These wind farms will almost certainly be built someday, even if the current contract-holders back out and the state has to rebid them.

And if it does, every bidding company will demand higher prices, socking ratepayers across the state with higher bills to subsidize them.

This is the danger of letting the government pick winners and losers. Watch the show “Shark Tank,” and you’ll see real investors having to decide whether to risk their own bankroll.

When experienced people are playing with their own money, they don’t care whether an idea sounds exciting or ticks the proper ideological boxes. They only care whether they’re likely to make money off it.

But when government provides subsidies to businesses, the investment decisions are made by folks who get to play with other people’s money.

Not having anything of their own at stake dulls their judgment, making them care more about the ideological appeal of a proposal than whether the money picked from the public’s pocket will provide a real return on their (unwilling) investment.

And while an investor will walk away from a project that’s going down the tubes, government agencies will keep throwing good money after bad — there’s no cost to them, and it hurts to publicly admit you’re wrong.

New Yorkers are capable of choosing the future they want. They don’t have to have it forced on them.

It’s time to shove the cost-immune policymakers to the side and let the market work. Let firms innovate to find affordable sources of clean energy, and climate conscious New Yorkers will beat a path to their door. [Note to James: it’s called nuclear power and New Yorkers have enjoyed it for more than 50 years.] New York Post

The wheels are coming off New York’s insane alternate-energy plans New York Post Editorial 15 October 2023

New York state’s insane renewable-energy plan is starting to implode, and the sooner Gov. Kathy Hochul and other leaders admit the truth, the better.

On Thursday, the state Public Service Commission nixed a request for vastly greater subsidies — about $12 billion worth — for 90 alternate-power projects that are supposed to provide a quarter of the state’s electricity. That would have doubled public support, most likely meaning huge increases for ratepayers in a state where power already costs far above the national average and rates are even now rising to help pay for this “transformation.” The companies involved say they’re facing far higher costs, thanks to inflation, supply-chain issues and other developments since they inked the original deals.

Many, likely most, will now look to exit.

Hochul, meanwhile, released a new “10-Point Action Plan” that rhetorically doubles down on the state’s commitment its goals but doesn’t hold a hint of how to pay for it.

The state’s 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires cutting fossil-fuel emissions 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2050.

Solar and (mostly offshore) wind plants are supposed to replace that electricity.

Oh, and cover the natural growth in demand for power.

Plus, New York wants everyone switching to electric cars, electric heat and electric cooking, so these green dreams require even more growth in electricity generation.

Again, the PSC’s (wise) ruling means the wheels are coming off the entire alternative-energy scheme.

Nor is that the only blow.

For example, part of the supply-chain issue is the utter lack of ships that can actually build the vast fields of offshore wind towers that New York’s leaders want.

The only vessels with that capability are foreign-flagged, and so prohibited under the federal Jones Act, a sacred cow for the American labor movement.

Then, too, plans for a battery factory in the Hudson Valley are on the brink of collapse after its CEO resigned, its stock cratered and its workers got laid off.

Vancouver-based Zinc8 Energy Solutions had won $68 million in state tax credits for a Kingston plant to manufacture long-duration energy storage systems.

Its implosion means the imagined renewables-heavy electric grid would lack crucial help in maintaining service when the sun isn’t shining or wind isn’t blowing.

Meanwhile, the folks in charge of overseeing the state electric grid have warned that this “transition” risks leaving New York City facing blackouts as soon as 2025.

By the way, statewide conversion to electric heat would mean peak power demand will come in the coldest months, not the hottest: So the blackouts won’t leave people sweating uncomfortably but instead freezing in the dead of winter.

The entire US and Western drive to end carbon emissions is a ruinous wild-goose chase.

New York’s rush to lead the way, begun simply to boost then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s presidential hopes, only guarantees that Empire Staters will suffer the worst ruin before reality comes crashing down. New York Post

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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The True Story Behind James Cameron’s Titanic

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James Cameron’s 1997 blockbusting tearjerker, Titanic, puts an epic love story in the middle of the greatest maritime disaster in the history of the North Atlantic. On April 15, 1912, midway through its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg. Because of a severe shortage of lifeboats, 1,517 people died. In the weeks which followed, the luxury liner was said to have been billed as “unsinkable,” but that claim had never been made until after the nautical disaster.

This and other myths have lived on, thanks particularly to Cameron’s romantic (and often fanciful) movie. And yet, not all truths have been lost at sea.

Jack and Rose

Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Rose DeWitt Bukater, played by Kate Winslet as a young woman and Gloria Stuart when elderly, are a myth. They are fictional characters. Jack wasn’t slipped $20 for rescuing Rose, and never taught her how to spit off the side of a ship like a man. But there was a member of the Titanic crew named Joseph Dawson. Born in Dublin, Joseph Dawson worked as a coal trimmer, evening out piles of coal which were shoveled into the ship’s furnaces.

Rose DeWitt-Bukater is the first film character portrayed by two actors who were both nominated for an Academy Award. Winslet was nominated as Best Actress, and Stuart was nominated as Best Supporting Actress. Rose is modeled on Beatrice Wood, who did not travel on the Titanic. Born in San Francisco to wealthy parents, her coming out party was cancelled the same year the Titanic sank.

Beatrice joined the French National Repertory Theatre under the stage name Mademoiselle Patricia, playing more than 60 roles before she was noticed by artist Marcel Duchamp. She was well known by artists during the Dada period, and lived long enough to be invited by James Cameron to the opening of Titanic.

Captain Edward John Smith

Before skippering the Titanic, Capt. Edward John Smith (Bernard Hill) spent 40 years at sea without major incidents. Smith had been working on boats since he was a teenager. He earned a master’s certificate, which is required to serve as captain, in 1875. He became a junior officer with the White Star Line in 1880. He commanded his first ship in 1887. Like many veteran captains, he occasionally ran ships aground, and was captain of the Olympic when it collided with the British cruiser Hawke off the Isle of Wight in 1911, a year before he helmed the Titanic.

The Titanic received iceberg warnings several days into its maiden voyage. Smith adjusted the course but reportedly did not decrease speed. He was away from the bridge when the ship struck an iceberg. The first damage report, from Fourth Officer Joseph G. Boxhall (Simon Crane), found no damage. But a closer inspection from the Titanic’s designer Thomas Andrews (Victor Garber), found five of the ship’s 16 watertight compartments were flooded. The Titanic could have stayed afloat with up to four flooded compartments. At about midnight, Andrews reported the ship would founder within 60 to 90 minutes. Smith gave orders to uncover the lifeboats and alert the passengers at 12:05 a.m.

Because of some of the reported incidents, some historians wonder whether Smith was in a state of shock at the news. Crewmen didn’t lower the lifeboats until 12:45 a.m., and only because Second Officer Charles Lightoller (Jonny Phillips) reminded the captain to give the order.

Smith’s final moments are unknown. Early newspaper reports alleged he shot himself with a pistol. Several witnesses claimed to have seen him swim to a nearby lifeboat with an infant in his arms before swimming back to the Titanic. Some witnesses said he was swept off deck by a wave, others believed he made it to an overturned lifeboat. Smith’s body was never found.

Joseph Bruce Ismay

J. Bruce Ismay (Jonathan Hyde) was born Dec. 12, 1862, near Liverpool, England. His father was the founder of the White Star Line. Educated at Harrow and tutored in France, he travelled the world before becoming the New York company agent for White Star Line. He became head of Ismay, Imrie & Company after his father’s death in 1899, oversaw its acquisition by J.P. Morgan’s International Mercantile Marine Company in 1902, and was named president of IMM in 1904.

In 1907, Ismay met with Lord Pirrie of the Belfast shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff to discuss building a fast luxury liner with huge steerage capacity which would rival the Cunard Line’s RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauretania. Three ships were built, the RMS Olympic, RMS Britannic, and the pride of the fleet, the RMS Titanic. The ship was built by British White Star Lines at a cost of $10 million. It weighed 46,000 tons and was 882.5 feet long.

History puts culpability for the Titanic disaster on Ismay. He reportedly demanded the captain increase speed in spite of the iceberg warnings, but during the U.S. Senate’s Inquiry into the disaster, he testified the ship was never going at full speed and didn’t even have all of the boilers on. Ismay was the company officer who gave the order to cut the number of lifeboats onboard from 48 to the Board of Trade standard minimum of 16, plus 4 collapsible Engelhardt boats. But Ismay also helped crewmen get the lifeboats ready and convinced passengers to board the lifeboats before danger was visibly apparent. Ismay boarded Engelhardt C, the last lifeboat launched, only 20 minutes before the Titanic crashed beneath the waves.

While Ismay was attacked in the press and branded a coward for escaping while so many working-class women and children died, testimony from surviving officers exonerated his actions as in the best interest of the passengers. Ismay retired from IMM and the White Star Line in 1913.

Chief Engineer Officer Joseph Bell

Joseph Bell (Terry Forrestal) was from Farlam, Cumbria, and a family who had been farmers for generations. Born in March 1861, Joseph began his seafaring career as an apprentice engine fitter at Robert Stephensons and Co. in Newcastle. Bell joined the White Star line in 1885, serving on vessels working the waters of New Zealand and New York.

Joseph, was promoted to Chief Engineer on the Coptic in 1891 and married Maud Bates in 1893. By 1911, he was the Chief Engineer on White Star Line’s Olympic before being transferred to the Titanic. His staff consisted of 24 engineers, six electrical engineers, two boilermakers, a plumber, and a clerk. None survived the sinking.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Legend has it, Margaret Tobin Brown (Kathy Bates) was called “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” because she helped evacuate the ship, took up one of the oars in the lifeboat, and threatened to throw Quartermaster Robert Hichens (Paul Brightwell) overboard if he didn’t go back to the boat to save more people. The myth says the nickname was plucked from the first words she said upon landing safely in New York: “Typical Brown luck. I’m unsinkable!” But Brown actually got the tag as an insult from Denver gossip columnist Polly Pry as revenge for the story of a local hero being printed in another magazine first.

Molly Tobin was born in Hannibal, Missouri in 1867. Her Irish family was part of a wave of immigrants who came to America after the country’s industrialization. Margaret went to school until age 13 when she began working in a factory. She left in search of better work conditions. She met J.J. Brown, a mining engineer, and they were married on Sept. 1, 1886. While most of their neighbors in the Leadville, Missouri community lived in devastating poverty because of the 1893 Silver Crash, J.J. discovered gold in Ibex Mining’s Little Johnny Mine, where he was made a primary shareholder. The couple became nearly instantaneous millionaires.

Moving to Denver where the Silver Crash also took a heavy economic toll, Margaret became part of the Progressive movement, fighting for public baths, public parks, and other city improvements. The Browns separated in 1909 but never divorced. Margaret and her daughter Helen were on an extended vacation with Col. John Jacob “Jack” Astor IV and Madeleine Astor in 1912 when they heard news about a family member’s health issue at home and booked passage on the first available ship, the Titanic.

After the crash, Margaret was lowered in lifeboat number six, which was equipped to hold 65 passengers, but set off with 21 women, two men, and a twelve-year-old boy onboard. Margaret manned an oar. Her knowledge of foreign languages helped her bring passengers aboard the Carpathia, the first ship to answer the distress call. Margaret distributed blankets and supplies, and got the first-class passengers to donate money to help less fortunate passengers.

Brown continued her Progressive program, helping miners striking against the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. Twenty people were killed when a battle broke out between the miners and private guards hired by the company in one of the most violent labor conflicts in American history. Once the aftermath and PR battles died down, Margaret moved into her summer home in Newport, Rhode Island where she became involved with Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, the President of the National Women’s Suffrage Association.

The two women spearheaded the National Women’s Trade Union League, which advocated for a minimum wage, an eight-hour workday, and did not distinguish between women of the upper classes and working women.

Margaret wrote newspaper articles, gave public speeches, and was drawn to the radical side of the party, which pushed for a national suffrage amendment. In July 1914, Brown and Belmont organized the Conference of Great Women, which led to Margaret’s bid for a U.S. Senator seat representing Colorado. She shifted her focus when World War I broke out, traveling to France to work for the American Committee for Devastated France.

After WWI, Molly indulged her lifelong passion for the stage, performing in plays in Paris and New York. The 1960 Broadway musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown was based on her life, Debbie Reynolds played her in the 1964 film adaptation. Brown died in her sleep on Oct. 26, 1932, at the Barbizon Hotel in New York City.

Madeleine Astor and Jacob Astor IV

Madeleine Astor (Charlotte Chatton) was five months pregnant when she boarded the Titanic in Cherbourg, France with her husband Col. John Jacob “Jack” Astor IV (Eric Braeden); her husband’s valet, and her maid and nurse. Madeleine was the daughter of William Hurlbut Force, a shipping magnate, and her family was part of Brooklyn high society. The Astors were ending their extended honeymoon which began with a trip from New York on Titanic‘s sister ship, the Olympic.

When the Titanic was sinking, Astor’s husband helped her and her maid into lifeboat four but was denied entry himself by Second Officer Lightoller, who said the boats were for women and children only. Col. Astor perished with the ship. Madeleine Astor gave birth on Aug. 14, 1912. Her late husband’s will was conditional, and when Madeleine married her childhood friend, the banker William Karl Dick, four years after the Titanic tragedy, she lost her stipend from his trust fund.

Isidor and Ida Straus

Here’s a real heartbreaker greater than even Kate and Leo. Remember the image of a couple holding each other and crying as water seeps into their cabin? They were based on the tragically real figures of Isidor and Ida Straus, two of the wealthiest people on the Titanic.

Born into a Jewish family in Otterberg in 1845, back when that village was part of the Kingdom of Bavaria and Germany did not yet exist, Isidor immigrated as a child with his family to the United States. Growing up in Georgia when the Civil War broke out, he even considered joining the Confederacy before instead becoming a blockade runner for the South (think Rhett Butler). After the war, he moved to New York City where he met Ida, a fellow immigrant from the Germanic states.

In New York, Isidor worked at L. Straus and Sons, which quickly became the glass and china department at Macy’s. Yes, that Macy’s. The original one. By 1888, Isidor and his brother became partners in the first major American department store. By 1896 they owned it. Around this time, Isidor even served a single term as a Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

When the Titanic hit an iceberg in 1912, Isidor and Ida were returning home after a holiday in France. As a first class passenger woman from one of the finest cabins on the ship, Ida was almost immediately offered space on a lifeboat. Isidor escorted her to it, but when it came time to get on, she refused. She wouldn’t leave her husband. Isidor was then also offered a spot on the lifeboat beside her, but he also refused, saying he would “not go before other men.”

So both of them declined the lifeboat space and instead gave it to Ida’s maid. One witness said she heard Ida say, “We have been living together for many years. Where you go, I go.” They walked off back toward the neck, never to be seen again.

And the Band Played On

The crew of the RMS Titanic took the adage “women and children first” very seriously. The Titanic‘s eight-member band, led by violinist Wallace Hartley (Jonathan Evans-Jones), never even jockeyed for position. When the band heard the ship was going down, they set up in the first-class lounge and played to keep passengers calm. As the water rose, the band moved to the forward half of the boat deck. Hartley worked for the Cunard ship line before taking the gig on the Titanic. The other band members were violinists George Alexandre Krins and John Law Hume, violist and bassist John Frederick Preston Clarke, cellists John Wesley Woodward, and Roger Marie Bricoux, and pianists Percy Cornelius Taylor and Theodore Ronald Brailey.

According to some passengers, the final song played was “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” a hymn written in 1861 by the Rev. John Dykes. Versions of this song play in the films Titanic (1953), A Night to Remember (1958) and Cameron’s Titanic. This was discounted by Colonel Archibald Gracie, an amateur historian who survived the disaster.

Movies

Saving Private Ryan: The Real History That Inspired the WW2 Movie

By David Crow

Movies

How Saving Private Ryan’s Best Picture Loss Changed the Oscars Forever

By David Crow

“I assuredly should have noticed it and regarded it as a tactless warning of immediate death to us all, and one likely to create panic,” he is quoted as saying in Steven Turner’s book, The Band That Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the Eight Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic. He recalled that the band played cheerful songs to keep spirits up. Other survivors also reported hearing songs like “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and “In the Shadows.”

“Nearer, My God, to Thee” was sung by passengers who survived the 1906 wreck of the SS Valencia and had been played during the impending doom on the decks of the Titanic, but those passengers who heard the song had disembarked earlier than the crew. Wireless operator Harold Bride told The New York Times he heard the song “Autumn” before the ship sank.

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alightinthelantern · 4 years

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SS Commonwealth, Fall River Line.

Launched in 1907, and sailing on its maiden voyage the following year, the Commonwealth was the last and largest of the Fall River Line steamers, which traveled nightly between NYC and Fall River, MA, providing connecting service with trains to Boston. At 456 feet long, 96 feet total width, and weighing 5,980 gross tons, she was the largest paddlewheel steamer in the world at launch, and remains one of the largest paddle steamers in history. Although paddlewheels had mostly faded as a relevant form of marine propulsion by the dawn of the 20th century, the various steamship companies operating on Long Island Sound and on the Hudson and East Rivers maintained the style out of tradition, and the Commonwealth, with its steel hull, sophisticated triple-expansion inclined engines, and ability to maintain 20 knots speed, was considered by some to be the ultimate in the evolution of paddle steamers in coastal waters. The Commonwealth glittered with electricity rather than the gas-lighting of olden days—especially at night, when she moved through the dark like a fairytale palace—though her boilers were still coal-fired, a hot, dirty, and unenviable job.

Nicknamed “The Giantess of the Sound”, the enormous vessel was also lavishly decorated inside, and boasted three full passenger decks, with 425 staterooms set around a vaulted, two-storey grand saloon in Venetian Gothic style which stretched around 350 feet along on the lower two decks, and a dining room and adjoining grill room on its top deck, both replete with ornate woodcarving and plasterwork. Additional amenities included a smoking lounge, writing room, barber shop, and amble deck space to stroll along, as well as a live orchestra to accompany dances in the evenings. Although berths varied in size and comfort, there were no separate “classes” aboard, allowing all who sailed aboard the Fall River Line’s giant, palatial steamships to enjoy the luxury of a noble manor house for a night. As such, the company became exceedingly popular with working-class people from New York and southern New England as a way to spend their honeymoon, or a rare vacation, as a round-trip of two passages might cost $10, an otherwise impossibly cheap price for two nights of luxury in the early 1900s, even adjusting for a century of inflation. The Commonwealth, which had perhaps a feeling of oversize for its passengers and was not quite as popular as its smaller fleetmates with a more intimate ambience, was nevertheless beloved by many of the travelling public, as were all Fall River Line vessels, and there was genuine mourning from many in the New York, Long Island, and New England regions when the company folded in 1937 amidst the depression.

Photos, in order:

Commonwealth en route to NYC, ca. 1925.

Main dining room between settings, demonstrating the elaborate string of domes nestled among its ceiling moldings.

Main dining room just before dinner, with waiters ready to serve incoming passengers.

The adjoining Grill Room, which continues the dining room’s decorative scheme, in between settings.

A waiter in the Grill Room preparing for later service.

The grand, two-story main Lounge late in the Commonwealth’s career, furnished with the overstuffed chairs and settees in fashion in the 1930s.

Commonwealth entering the harbor of Newport, RI, with the Goat Island lighthouse visible right behind it. Sometime prior to November 9, 1921, when the keeper’s house was damaged in a submarine collision, and thereafter torn down.

Commonwealth docked at the Fall River Line docks in Newport, RI.

Commonwealth being towed in a gale off Point Judith, RI, ~10 miles south of Newport, date unknown.

The pilot house, from which the Commonwealth was steered.

Commonwealth again being towed in same gale off Point Judith, with Rhode Island coast visible in distance.

Commonwealth in unknown New England port. This close up one can see the replete panelling which adorned the exterior of the wooden upper decks.

#PS Commonwealth #Commonwealth #SS Commonwealth #Fall River Line #New England #vintage New England #Long Island Sound #20th century #historical #retro #vintage #New York City #steamships #steamboats #paddle steamers #sidewheelers

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thesunlounge · 6 years

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Reviews 138: Hatchback

Sam Grawe’s Hatchback project is a fantasy panorama of all the music I like most, weaving new age, krautrock, balearic, kosmische, and post-rock into heavenly tapestries that I could float on forever. But the project had been virtually silent since 2013’s incredible Marin County 12” on Adult Contemporary, leaving the world bereft of his soothing sonic meditations until a surprise appearance earlier this year on Cocktail d’Amore’s Iury Lech remix album. There Sam transformed “Posimeridiano” into a blissed out expanse of soft ambient propulsion and shimmering synth starscapes and now, building on the incredible strength of that remix, he has joined Lo Recordings once again for the much awaited third volume of his “California Cosmic Sound” series, Year of the Dragon. As usual, Scott Hirsch and Daniel Judd are along for the ride dropping golden waves of guitar alongside Sam’s cosmic vibrations, with Daniel in particular adding his Sorcerer sunshine to one of the coolest tracks I’ve heard in a long time, “Humidity Report 1976.” Elsewhere we get majestic new age soundscapes and tropical saxophone jams, as well as a stunning journey into the blinding light of climactic post-rock.

Hatchback - Year of the Dragon (Lo Recordings, 2018) The centerpiece of “Evening Mountain” is the repeated appearance of thick and soul melting saxophone lines in the vein of Seahawks, which initially explore soft sauna jazz over cavernous reverb toms, flashes of hot static, and warm throbbing bass currents. Kick drums and splashy white noise cymbals evoke slow motion disco but when the full beat comes in, the vibe skews closer towards crashing and epic funk. The drums also sound double-tracked and with each layer slightly out of phase, creating the effect of colorful percussive tracers flying through the stereo field while an overflowing rainbow of synthesizer arps dances with LSD-soaked chime percolations and cosmic streaks of harmonious light panning back and forth. Towards the end, a searing space sequence overtakes the mix alongside droning angel choirs and the “topographic slide guitar” of Scott Hirsch, which dots the landscape with echoing bell tones and wailing solos, adding a naturalistic romanticism to the polychromatic synth euphoria. And as the track comes to a close, saxophones are smothered in deep space harmonizers while Sam’s squiggling synthesizer madness pushes everything towards some wild tropical landscape of alien colors and psychedelic visions.

“Onarimon” sets the spirit afloat on meditative bass currents while chiming e-pianos sound like drops of golden glowing liquid. Anthemic polysynths are transmuted into new age shimmer and celestial pads move around majestic washes of Manuel Göttshching-style spaceguitar (possibly sourced by Is it Balearic? alumnus Kensuke Saito/9dw, who is credited here with “neon halo guitar”). Arcing layers of distortion wash blissfully over the body and a hovering cloud of synthetic wind and kaleidoscopic feedback glows with warm sunset hues, while the starlight electric piano arpeggios continue to fade in and out of the mix. Gentle acid sequencing forms a sort of bass lullaby as the glorious guitars weave layers of lustrous light and eventually the acid bass is moved up a few octaves, now sounding like an otherworldly harp. Then a throbbing four-four beat emerges while cascading repetitions of twinkling minimalism build us towards a washed out climax wherein the aqueous guitars sing underwater songs of dolphins and whales and kosmische solos bubble up into the starry sky. Ever growing tremolo chords flow out to sea and shooting stars rain down and then morph into brain-piercing streaks of light and there is a spellbinding yet understated back and forth between delay soaked guitar riffs and pillow bass synths as Sam lets the sound layers grow into incandescent clouds of solar spiritual beauty.

In “Humidity Report 1976”, aquamarine synths float alongside lush Rhodes melodies and outerspace sequences over clattering percussion and a building sense of rhythmic urgency. As the cymbals grow in strength and strange layers of sound threaten to overwhelm the mix, Sam and Dan drop us into a gloriously booty-shaking expanse of cosmic magic with perfectly placed claps sitting above a tight funk beat and interstellar synths and guitar arpeggios working in counterpoint to the dreamy e-piano ascents. Then we head into a gorgeous instrumental chorus with soft fusion synths weaving melodies of eternal prog romance over breaky lounge drums…like a soundtrack for fantasy kingdoms in the sky where shimmering light of all colors reflects off of every surface. And when we flash back to the body-moving funk jam, intergalactic synths now solo over thunderous bass waves and the guitars are smeared into blankets of solar flare fuzz. After a few more alternations between the smooth funk groove and the paradise fusion/prog chorus, we transition via a minimal jam of dusty MPC drums, tambourines, bouncing synthbass, and growing layers of dreamland keys into a new melodic world, one where the guitars build into a repetitive refrain of California coastal magic over a grooving ocean of positivity. And the track ends on a “Wish You Were Here” style AM radio cut-out, here joined by chirping crickets and other insect songs.

The introduction of “Year of the Dragon” surrounds piano chords that penetrate to the depths of the heart with aching slide guitars and a loose drum flow accented by sizzling hi-hats and island breeze bongos. The vibe is like riding through spaghetti western expanses on some faraway planet of peace and harmony, especially as e-pianos soaked in vibrato bathe the mind in a calming tropical light. At some point the song switches into a section dominated by spindly acoustic guitar riffing and gliding drumbeats, while hand drums continue adding colorful island wonder and mesmerizing arpeggios and electric guitar leads sweep everything into a triumphant drift. All the while, classical post-rock tremolo picked guitars ebb and flow in the background, building and building as the song progresses towards a soaring climax of overwhelming power, reminding me of nothing so much as Godspeed You Black Emperor!’s epic “BBF3,” only as if blasted into the balearic sunshine. Propulsive and explosive drums and chugging bass hypnotics underly the massive clouds of post-rock beauty as squelching acid synths diffuse through walls of hazy guitar brilliance. And after the drums back away for a celestial passage dominated by liquid six-string ambiance, we build back up for one more ecstatic rush through Sam’s starshine seascape before everything drops away, leaving just sparse piano chords to help the soul return to Earth.

(images from my personal copy)

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xtruss · 2 years

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Five Technologies That Should Give Us Some Hope For The Planet’s Future

From offshore wind power to e-bikes, there are at least a few reasons for (cautious) optimism.

— By Rob Pegoraro | Friday April 22, 2022

Source Images: Getty

Looking for good news about the planet’s future on Earth Day—an occasion often marked mainly by greenwashing corporate PR—can feel as doomed as fishing in the filthy, sometimes flammable rivers that spurred the first Earth Day in 1970.

But if you may please pause your doomscrolling for a moment, cause for cautious optimism shouldn’t be far below the surface.

American-Made Offshore Wind Power

U.S. renewable energy adoption has lagged most visibly in offshore wind power, which benefits from stronger and more consistent wind. Where the European Union had 5,000-plus wind turbines offshore as of last summer, the U.S. has (ahem) 7, 5 off Rhode Island and 2 off Virginia.

But things finally look to be changing. That pair of windmills off Virginia Beach are precursors to a 176-turbine project planned by Dominion Power that when operational in 2026 should generate 2.6 gigawatts of electricity at peak, good for more than a sixth of the housing units in the state.

There’s also an onshore counterpart to this project: a Siemens Gamesa factory at the Portsmouth Marine Terminal to produce the giant blades these turbines and others require, and which today are imported (one reason for the Dominion project’s high startup costs). That represents a large vote of confidence by one of the world’s leading turbine manufacturers in the upside of wind power off the coasts of the U.S.

Cheaper Solar Everywhere , Your Roof Included

The plunging cost of solar power has made it not just the top source of new renewable electricity generation but the top source of new electricity, period: In January, the government’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated that solar would account for 46% of added generation capacity in 2022 (followed by natural gas at 21%, wind at 17%, and batteries at 11%).

On-site solar hasn’t seen the same decrease in cost, thanks to installation expenses, but the EIA projects that it will still generate 8% of our electricity by 2050. That estimate, however, may need revision if recent advances in rooftop solar help drive down those “soft” costs. For example, at CES this January I saw roof shingles with integrated solar panels from one of the biggest names in roofing—GAF Energy’s Timberline Solar—designed to be installed by any roofing crew with standard tools.

Electric Cars (And Bikes) As The Default

Battery-electric vehicles can seem like an indulgence for the climate-guilt-obsessed rich when coverage of them focuses on high-end rides like GM’s upcoming $100,000 Hummer electric truck. But mass-market vehicles like Chevy’s Bolt and VW’s ID.4 will make much more of a difference—not least since their vastly lower “fueling” and maintenance costs already make them cheaper to own than comparable gas-powered cars.

Last June, BloombergNEF estimated that electric vehicles would have a cheaper sticker price than internal-combustion cars—without any subsidies—by 2026 in the U.S. and EU. The recent explosion in the price of gas may only accelerate these trends.

Don’t overlook the potential of electric propulsion to improve transportation at a much shorter range. Electric-assist bicycles make getting around short distances in cities vastly easier, especially when hills are involved. And when they’re available at a cheap per-ride rate in bike-sharing systems—at the Lyft-operated Capital Bikeshare around Washington, D.C., a 10-minute ride costs $2.50 for nonmembers—their high up-front cost becomes a much smaller issue.

Direct Air Capture

What about all the CO2 already trapping heat? Direct air capture (which involves extracting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at an industrial scale) is the technology to watch. It’s also the technology in which companies like Stripe, Microsoft, and United Airlines are now making nontrivial investments.

The obstacles here remain steep, and economically viable uses for reclaimed carbon remain a problem to be solved—although in late March, United announced a project to work toward using reclaimed CO2 to make synthetic fuel for its jets. But throwing money at the problem now (see also Elon Musk underwriting a $100 million competition to make “DAC” happen) may yield outsize benefits later on.

As Clive Thompson wrote in a lengthy feature on direct air capture for Mother Jones: “In engineering-speak, DAC can scale. And as it does, it should get ever cheaper and more efficient.”

Renewables Keep Racing Past Predictions

One last cause for optimism about the future should come from a look at the past—as in, all the past establishment forecasts about renewable-energy adoption that wound up lowballing human potential by enormous margins.

Twenty years ago, for example, the EIA estimated that coal would still account for 46% of U.S. energy production in 2020, with renewables barely growing over that time from 2002’s almost 9% share. The reality of 2020: Coal had crumbled to a 19% share, while renewables had jumped to 21%.

The International Energy Agency, an organization created after the 1974 oil crisis, has been even worse, with solar and wind beating its cost and deployment predictions year after year after year. For example, in 2010 it forecast that worldwide solar electric generation would hit 180 gigawatts in 2024, a threshold reached in reality in early 2015.

There’s a lesson here in all of these lowball forecasts: While you shouldn’t discount the unpleasant side effects of human apathy and ignorance, it’s also a mistake to bet against human ingenuity—especially if there’s money to be made by showing up industry incumbents that act as if things won’t ever change that much.

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marineelectric · 2 years

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RC Marine Electric: Your Trusted Partner for High-Quality Marine Electrical Services in Rhode Island

Rhode Island has a rich maritime history, and it's no secret that boating is a way of life for many coastal residents. But with the increasing complexity of marine electronics and electrical systems, keeping a boat in top shape requires a specialized set of skills and expertise. This is where RC Marine Electric comes in - your trusted partner for high-quality marine electrical services in Rhode Island.

In this post, we'll take a closer look at what makes RC Marine Electric stand out from the rest, and why they should be your go-to choice for all your marine electrical needs.

1. Expertise and Experience

RC Marine Electric is a family-owned and operated business with over 30 years of experience in the marine electrical industry. Their team of licensed and certified technicians has the expertise and knowledge to handle any electrical issue, from simple repairs and maintenance to complex system installations and upgrades.

They are also up-to-date with the latest advances in marine technology, and can provide customized solutions to meet your specific needs and budget.

2. Quality Service and Attention to Detail

At RC Marine Electric, customer satisfaction is their top priority. They take pride in delivering quality service that is efficient, reliable, and always done right the first time. They go above and beyond to ensure that every job is completed to the highest standards, with a keen eye for detail and accuracy.

Whether you need a new electrical panel, lighting installation, or system troubleshooting and repair, you can count on RC Marine Electric to get the job done on time, on budget, and to your complete satisfaction.

3. Comprehensive Range of Services

RC Marine Electric offers a comprehensive range of marine electrical services to meet all your boating and yachting needs. Some of the most popular services they provide include:

• Battery installations and upgrades • Lighting installations, upgrades, and repairs • Electrical panel upgrades and replacements • Generator installations and repairs • Inverter installations and repairs • Troubleshooting and diagnosing electrical issues • Custom system design and installation

With RC Marine Electric, you can have peace of mind knowing that your boat's electrical systems are in the hands of experts who are dedicated to delivering the highest levels of service and quality.

4. Exceptional Customer Support

In addition to their expertise and quality service, RC Marine Electric is also known for their exceptional customer support. They understand that boating can be unpredictable, and electrical issues can arise at any time. That's why they offer 24/7 emergency services to ensure that you always have access to the help you need when you need it.

They also offer free estimates, so you can get a clear understanding of the scope and cost of your project before committing to any work. And their staff is always available to answer any questions you may have.

In summary, RC Marine Electric is the go-to choice for high-quality marine electrical services in Rhode Island. With their expertise, experience, quality service, comprehensive range of services, and exceptional customer support, they are the trusted partner for boaters and yacht owners throughout the area.

So whether you need a simple repair or a complex system installation, don't hesitate to contact RC Marine Electric today. You can trust them to deliver the expertise and quality service you deserve, and keep your boat's electrical systems running smoothly and safely for years to come.

#Marine Electrical in Rhode Island

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uicscience · 6 years

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IMAGE: The journey into the Northwest Passage will commence later this month, departing from Resolute Bay then traveling south and west to Cambridge Bay via Bellot Strait. The expedition will return to Lancaster Sound and Pond Inlet before traveling down the east side of Baffin Island.

UIC students to set off on Arctic adventure through Northwest Passage

As University of Illinois at Chicago students return to campus in late August for the fall semester, most will be in lecture halls, classrooms and research labs.

But a select group – five undergraduates and one graduate student – will be aboard a polar vessel for three weeks as part of the Northwest Passage Project, a historic, educational excursion across the remote Canadian Arctic.

Led by the Inner Space Center at the University of Rhode Island, the expedition will bring together students from UIC and four other minority-serving institutions with natural and social scientists and a professional film crew for a climate and marine research program funded by the National Science Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.

From Aug. 23 to Sept. 13, the students will learn about polar science and climate change as One Ocean Expeditions’ state-of-the-art research vessel Akademik Ioffe traverses the Northwest Passage. Students will also contribute to Facebook Live broadcasts from sea and work alongside ocean scientists as they conduct Arctic research. The journey includes multiple stops for field research along the way.

“This will be an immersive, one-of-a-kind experience for our students,” said Miquel Gonzalez-Meler, professor of biological sciences and the project’s UIC faculty liaison. “They will not only strengthen their research skills and knowledge, but also help deliver important information to better inform the scientific community and the general public about the Arctic’s transforming environment and the impact the changing Arctic is having on the habitat and its inhabitants.”

The “Slocum Glider,” an autonomous underwater vehicle, will take samples from the eastern waters of Lancaster Sound, a critical point in the Northwest Passage between the Beaufort Sea and Baffin Bay.

Besides water, ice and air sample collections, the project’s research plans include investigating the physics of Arctic Ocean circulation and the chemistry of the melting Arctic ice. Through surveys of Arctic habitats, the project will also contribute to the understanding of the maritime history of the Northwest Passage, the role of the Inuit people in Arctic history, how climate change affects indigenous populations and the waterway’s geopolitics.

“Every part of the project’s mission inspires me and engages me,” said Miriam Hoffmann, a senior in psychology from Rockford, Illinois, who credits her upbringing as a child for fostering a deep appreciation for nature and the environment.

“I grew up with adventurous parents who created a self-sustaining home equipped with solar panels, solar-heated water, electric vehicles, and self-grown produce,” she said. “These experiences have sculpted my mindset and helped me to understand how dire it is to conduct research on the effects of climate change and to educate the public on the topic.”

It is a critical moment, environmentally and politically, to make these measurements in the Northwest Passage, according to Max Berkelhammer, UIC assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, who is also involved with the project.

“Warming in the Arctic is driving significant changes in Arctic ecosystems and these types of research expeditions provide necessary information to help predict what aspects of the systems are most vulnerable. At the same time, the Arctic is in a particularly sensitive political space with new possibilities for commercial traffic and trade amidst fraught relationships between U.S., Canada and Russia,” he said.

“It is a challenge that the students taking part in the cruise will inherit and they’ll need to be able to address it from a ‘systems’ approach that simultaneously considers the climate, biological, economic and political aspects of the problem.”

The opportunity to take action on environmental issues in a scientific capacity as an undergraduate student appeals to Humair Raziuddin, a junior from Naperville, Illinois.

“I want to be a part of this great journey to help build my scientific research skills and to help inform the public’s understanding of the changes affecting the region,” said Raziuddin, a pre-med student dual majoring in biological sciences and psychology.

The onboard film crew will capture footage for a two-hour documentary of the expedition titled “Frozen Obsession,” which is scheduled to air in 2019.

Other UIC students participating in the expedition include Tony Bellagamba, a doctoral student in earth and environmental sciences; Frances Crable, a senior in biological sciences from Chicago; Theressa Ewa, a sophomore in biochemistry; Stephanie Kadej, a junior in biological sciences from Schaumburg, Illinois. Timothy Grider, a sophomore in communications from La Grange, Illinois, and Kim Nguyen, a senior in biological sciences from Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, will assist with media production while based at the Inner Space Center in Narragansett, Rhode Island.

Other partners with the Northwest Passage Project include One Ocean Expeditions; the film company David Clark, Inc., and four other minority-serving institutions: California State University Channel Islands, City College of New York, Florida International University, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

#polar

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newstfionline · 3 years

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Tuesday, June 22, 2021

U.S. extends travel restrictions at Canada, Mexico land borders through July 21 (Reuters) U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least July 21, the U.S. Homeland Security Department said on Sunday. The 30-day extension came after Canada announced its own extension on Friday of the requirements that were set to expire on Monday and have been in place since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bipartisanship Has Sailed (NBC News) President Biden’s desire for bipartisan support for his legislative priorities definitely seems like wishful thinking. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is unequivocal when he says he is “one-hundred percent” focused on stopping any legislation the Biden administration wants to advance, or any Supreme Court vacancies they’d like to fill. In reality, with a 50-50 split in the Senate, and one of those Democrats—Joe Manchin (D-WV)—relishing his power to hold up progress, Democrats will simply stay stuck between a rock and a hard place, unless they’re willing to scale back their bills in an attempt to at least keep their caucus together.

Rhode Island Makes Financial Literacy A Required Class For All High School Students (Morning News) Forget high school financial literacy for a moment––adult financial literacy in America is shockingly low. The U.S. national debt recently soared past $30 trillion, leaving pensioners and younger generations wondering how the federal government will meet all its outstanding obligations. If Congress can’t even set a balanced budget, what hope is there for the rest of us? Meanwhile over half of U.S. adults say they’re financially anxious, and over three quarters live paycheck to paycheck. One Rhode Island school is leading the way to a better future. Personal finance classes at Tolman High School are preparing students to be financially responsible adults as they make their way in the world. Class of ‘21 salutatorian Hanatha Konte told reporters at the Breeze, “The classes really broke everything down for me in a way I understood.” The success of teaching students how to manage money and balance their household finances has led Rhode Island to pass a bill requiring the class for all high schoolers in the state.

Claudette regains tropical storm strength after 13 deaths (AP) Claudette regained tropical storm status Monday morning as it neared the coast of the Carolinas less than two days after 13 people died—including eight children in a multi-vehicle crash—due to the effects of the storm in Alabama. Monday morning, Claudette had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. The storm was located 65 miles (100 kilometers) east-southeast of Raleigh, North Carolina, and moving east-northeast at 25 mph (41 kph), forecasters said. The storm was expected to move into the Atlantic Ocean later in the morning, then travel near or south of Nova Scotia on Tuesday.

Fear shakes Mexico border city after violence leaves 18 dead (AP) Fear has invaded the Mexican border city of Reynosa after gunmen in vehicles killed 14 people, including taxis drivers, workers and a nursing student, and security forces responded with operations that left four suspects dead. While this city across the border from McAllen, Texas is used to cartel violence as a key trafficking point, the 14 victims in Saturday’s attacks appeared to be what Tamaulipas Gov. Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca called “innocent citizens” rather than members of one gang killed by a rival. The attacks took place in several neighborhoods in eastern Reynosa, according to the Tamaulipas state agency that coordinates security forces, and sparked a deployment of the military, National Guard and state police across the city. Images posted on social media showed bodies in the streets. Local businessman Misael Chavarria Garza said many businesses closed early Saturday after the attacks and people were very scared as helicopters flew overhead.

Colombians have thronged to anti-government protests. Hundreds have gone missing. (Washington Post) Juan Esteban Torres left his home on the afternoon of May 18 to join an anti-government protest in Caldas, Colombia. Millions across the country had taken to the streets in daily demonstrations against rising poverty, inequality and police brutality. Torres, his brother says, believed they deserved support. Security camera footage gathered by his family shows the 27-year-old walking between the protest and his home. No one has seen him since. “We said goodbye,” Daniel Torres said, “and we never saw him again.” While many of the thousands of demonstrations that have roiled Colombia over the last two months have been peaceful, security forces have responded to some with force, including 20 deaths through June 7. Now protesters and human rights advocates say they’re seeing the revival of another familiar tactic from Colombia’s long civil conflict: disappearances. Hundreds of people in the South American nation have gone missing since the protests erupted in late April. According to the attorney general’s office, 84 remain unaccounted for. Advocates say this is the first time they’ve seen so many disappearances associated with demonstrations.

Far right falters as conservatives lead French regional vote (AP) Marine Le Pen’s far-right party stumbled, French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists crashed and incumbent conservatives surged ahead in the first round of regional elections Sunday that were dominated by security issues and a record-low turnout. What was meant to be a vote centered on local concerns like transportation, schools and infrastructure turned into a dress rehearsal for next year’s presidential vote, as would-be presidential hopefuls seized on the regional campaign to test ideas and win followers. Macron’s rivals on left and right notably denounced his government’s handling of the pandemic. The wrangling appeared to turn off some voters, and less than 34% showed up, according to polling agencies.

West hits Belarus with new sanctions over Ryanair 'piracy' (Reuters) Western powers hit Belarus with a wave of new sanctions on Monday in a coordinated response to Minsk’s forced landing of a Ryanair plane last month to arrest a journalist on board, an act that is set to prompt further economic sanctions. The European Union, the United States, Britain and Canada blacklisted more officials, lawmakers and ministers from the administration of President Alexander Lukashenko, whose air force intercepted the Ryanair plane flying between Athens and Vilnius on May 23 in what the West called state piracy. In Monday’s mix of travel bans, asset freezes and sanctions on state-owned Belarusian companies, Western governments sought to escalate their pressure on Lukashenko, who is accused of rigging elections last August and cracking down on the opposition to prolong his now 27 years in power. There was no immediate reaction from Lukashenko who has denied rigging the vote, accused the arrested journalist Roman Protasevich of plotting a revolution, and increasingly turned to Russia for support.

Taliban Enter Key Cities in Afghanistan’s North After Swift Offensive (NYT) The Taliban entered two provincial capitals in northern Afghanistan Sunday, local officials said, the culmination of an insurgent offensive that has overrun dozens of rural districts and forced the surrender and capture of hundreds of government forces and their military equipment in recent weeks. In Kunduz city, the capital of the province of the same name, the Taliban seized the city’s entrance before dispersing throughout its neighborhoods. Kunduz was briefly taken by the Taliban in 2015 and 2016 before they were pushed back by American airstrikes, special operations forces and Afghan security forces. The setbacks come at a harrowing moment for Afghanistan. American and international troops, now mostly based in Kabul, the capital, and at Bagram airfield, are set to leave the country in weeks.

Iran’s nuclear power (Foreign Policy) Iran’s only nuclear power plant experienced an unexplained emergency shutdown on Sunday that authorities say could last through the week. Tavanir, Iran’s state electric company, said that repair work would continue until Friday but offered no further details. Gholamali Rakhshanimehr, an official with Tavanir, has warned of power outages as a result of the plant shutdown.

Hong Kong’s Lam says China has helped restore ‘stability’ (The Hill) The chief executive of Hong Kong on Sunday said China has helped restore “stability” in the city. Reuters reported that Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Hong Kong’s strategy to improve its standing as a global financial hub involves an increase in integration with mainland China. Lam’s comments come as non-Chinese investors in Hong Kong are becoming increasingly concerned that rights and freedoms are disappearing in the city, after Beijing imposed a national security law following mass protests in 2019, Reuters reported.

Tokyo Olympics to allow limit of 10,000 local fans in venues (AP) The Tokyo Olympics will allow some local fans to attend when the games open in just over a month, organizing committee officials and the IOC said on Monday. Organizers set a limit of 50% of capacity up to a maximum of 10,000 fans for all Olympic venues. Fans from abroad were banned several months ago. Officials say local fans will be under strict rules. They will not be allowed to cheer, must wear masks, and are being told to go straight home afterward.

Ethiopia’s historic election overshadowed by crises and conflict (Washington Post) Ethiopia is set to hold a twice-delayed national election on Monday in what the government has heralded as a long-awaited emergence into multiparty democracy. But a cascade of major crises in Africa’s second-most populous country has thrown the vote into disarray, leaving millions unable to vote. Foremost among them is a disastrous seven-month-old civil war in the northern region of Tigray. All sides have been accused of war crimes, and humanitarian groups say hundreds of thousands in Tigray are experiencing famine conditions. The election itself has been weakened by widespread insecurity, logistical issues and political disputes. Tigray will not take part in the vote at all, and about a fifth of polling stations in the rest of the country will not open on Monday because of security concerns or improperly printed ballots, according to the country’s election commission. The closed polling stations tend to be in areas where opposition parties claim support. Those closures as well as the jailing of numerous prominent government critics have led some of the country’s biggest opposition parties to boycott the election.

#headlines #news

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sciencespies · 3 years

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In huge breakthrough, the largest offshore wind farm in US history was just approved

https://sciencespies.com/tech/in-huge-breakthrough-the-largest-offshore-wind-farm-in-us-history-was-just-approved/

In huge breakthrough, the largest offshore wind farm in US history was just approved

The United States’ offshore wind industry is tiny, with just seven wind turbines operating off Rhode Island and Virginia. The few attempts to build large-scale wind farms like Europe’s have run into long delays, but that may be about to change.

On 11 May 2021, the US government issued the final federal approval for the Vineyard Wind project, a utility-scale wind farm that has been over a decade in the planning.

The wind farm’s developers plan to install 62 giant turbines in the Atlantic Ocean about 15 miles (24 kilometers) off Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, with enough capacity to power 400,000 homes with clean energy.

The project is the first approved since the Biden administration announced a goal in March to develop 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity this decade and promised to accelerate the federal review process.

To put that goal in perspective, the US has just 42 megawatts today. Vineyard Wind expects to add 800 megawatts in 2023.

So, are we finally seeing the launch of a thriving offshore wind industry in the North America?

Several wind farm developers already hold leases in prime locations off the Eastern Seaboard, suggesting plenty of interest.

As engineering professors leading the Energy Transition Initiative and Wind Energy Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, we have been closely watching the industry’s challenges and progress.

The process could move quickly once permitting and approvals are on track, but there are still obstacles.

Why offshore wind plans stalled under Trump

Vineyard Wind had planned to begin construction in 2019, but a ruling by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management under the Trump administration stalled it. The ruling cast a shadow over other wind farm plans and hopes for an US offshore wind industry.

The agency ruled that the developers needed to address what is called “cumulative impacts” – what the East Coast will look like when there are not one or two, but 20 or 40 large-scale wind farms.

That part of the US coast is ideal for wind power because of its wide, shallow shelf and proximity to cities that are looking for renewable electricity to reduce their climate impact.

(BOEM)

Above: Developers already hold wind energy leases for several areas off the East Coast.

Many researchers studying offshore wind, including some of our colleagues, urge planners to take this perspective.

But thinking carefully about a far future with several wind farms does not justify blocking the first utility-scale wind farm now. That first large wind farm will be an opportunity to learn, including about how wind turbines will interact with marine ecosystems.

Right now there is almost no data on the impacts of offshore wind on the region’s marine wildlife. The knowledge gained will be invaluable in moving forward responsibly.

Is fast-tracking federal approvals enough?

Speeding up federal approvals for offshore wind farms is an important first step, but those aren’t the only hurdles for offshore wind farm developers.

A large number of state environmental and coastal agencies also must approve offshore wind farm plans, and the communities where cables come ashore have a say.

Many of the Northeastern states, including Massachusetts, have their own offshore wind energy goals, so they’re likely to support wind farms. But some wealthy communities and the fishing industry have pushed back on wind power in the past.

Vineyard Wind’s developers worked with community groups and fishermen from the region and agreed to compensate them for potential revenue losses.

Vineyard Wind’s location and cable plan. (Vineyard Wind)

Above: Vineyard Wind’s plan uses one of the world’s largest turbines, GE’s Haliade-X, to reduce the number of turbines needed. Each has a capacity of 13 megawatts and blades the length of a football field.

The federal approval process, even fast-tracked, is also time-consuming. The government conducts reviews and requires site assessment plans, including geological, environmental and hazard surveys.

From planning to construction, the entire process can take five to six years or more.

Is the US ready to build offshore turbines?

Some other big questions revolve around construction.

Under a 1920 law known as the Jones Act, only US-registered vessels operated by US citizens or permanent residents can move cargo between US ports. In December 2020, Congress made clear that this law applies to wind turbine construction, too.

When companies build offshore wind turbines today, they use special vessels for the installation of the most common offshore turbine designs. The US doesn’t have any of these vessels yet, and the Jones Act makes it difficult to rely on vessels from Europe to do the job.

There is promise, though: The first US-made version of this vessel is being built in Texas right now. That’s one – the country will need several to meet the new goal.

(GE)

A thriving wind power industry will also need ports for storing and deploying the long turbine blades, plus a trained workforce for construction and turbine maintenance.

A few coastal states have a head start on this. Massachusetts started laying the groundwork early and already has a port terminal in New Bedford to support the construction and deployment of future offshore wind projects. New Jersey recently announced a plan for a new offshore wind port that will start construction in 2022, and Delaware has been considering one.

States are also investing in training. New York state announced a US$20 million offshore wind training institute in January 2021 with the goal of training 2,500 workers.

The Biden administration envisions 44,000 people employed in offshore wind by 2030, and many more in communities connected to offshore wind power activity.

Costs and benefits of offshore wind

In Europe, where many governments have reduced regulatory risks to the industry, the cost of offshore wind energy has come down much faster than experts expected, to around $50 per megawatt-hour.

If the Biden administration’s new approach allows US wind farms to achieve costs like this, then offshore wind, with its proximity to large urban centers on the East Coast, will be competitive.

It’s also important to recognize other benefits. Every year of delay for a large-scale wind farm costs the US hundreds of millions of dollars in climate benefits. The Biden administration calculates that its new wind power goal would avoid 78 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, roughly equivalent to taking 17 million cars off the road for a year.

This article updates a version published March 31, 2021.

Erin Baker, Professor of Industrial Engineering Applied to Energy Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Matthew Lackner, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

#Tech

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marineelectric · 2 years

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Powering Your Voyage: Discovering RC Marine Electric - The High Quality Marine Electrical Service in Rhode Island

As everyone knows, successfully navigating the waters requires attention to detail - and that includes the maintenance of a safe and efficient marine electrical system. In Rhode Island, RC Marine Electric has become the go-to provider for high-quality marine electrical services, earning its reputation through uncompromising professionalism, reliability, and skill. Whether you're a seasoned boater or new to the adventure, RC Marine Electric has the know-how and expertise to ensure that your aquatic pursuits are powered by the very best. This comprehensive blog explores the exceptional services offered by RC Marine Electric, and how they can optimize your boating experience in Rhode Island.

1. The Experienced Team behind RC Marine Electric

At the heart of any successful company is a team of dedicated and skilled professionals, and RC Marine Electric is a shining example of this. Boasting a highly experienced crew with years of experience working in the recreational marine industry, you can be confident in their ability to understand, diagnose, and resolve any electrical issue that may arise. In addition, the team at RC Marine Electric regularly receives ongoing training and certifications to ensure that they stay current on the latest innovations, technologies, and best practices in the industry. Their expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction make them the premier choice in Rhode Island.

2. An Array of Services Tailored to Your Needs

RC Marine Electric's wide range of services covers all aspects of marine electrical systems. From installation and troubleshooting to repair and maintenance, you can trust their team with any kind of marine vessel - be it a small personal watercraft, a high-performance powerboat, or even a luxury yacht. They provide a full line of service options that include electrical engineering, electrical system design, shore power systems, navigational systems, AC and DC systems, and more. With RC Marine Electric, you can expect the highest standard of workmanship and products, ensuring longevity and reliability for your vessel's electrical components.

3. Shore Power Systems: Staying Connected and Safe While Moored

One area in which RC Marine Electric excels is in designing and installing comprehensive shore power systems that ensure your vessel is safe and connected while moored. A dependable shore power system is critical in not only maintaining the functionality and longevity of your vessel's electrical system but also in preventing accidents caused by electrical faults, such as fires. Their professional team will custom design a shore power system to suit your vessel's specific requirements and provide you with the peace of mind that comes with knowing your boat has a stable and secure connection to the dock.

4. Cutting-Edge Equipment and Commitment to Quality

Partnering with some of the industry's leading manufacturers, RC Marine Electric is able to offer their customers the most cutting-edge equipment and technology available on the market today. By working with established brands like Blue Sea Systems, Balmar, Mastervolt, Charles Industries, and Victron Energy, their team is able to source, supply, and install the best equipment tailored to your vessel's needs. Furthermore, all installations, repairs, and maintenance services carried out by RC Marine Electric come with a full warranty, ensuring that you enjoy the peace of mind that only quality workmanship can offer.

5. Satisfied Customers and Reputation for Excellence

At RC Marine Electric, customer satisfaction is a top priority. Their reputation for excellence is built on a foundation of delivering consistently outstanding service to their clients, many of whom are repeat customers. With a 5-star online rating, it's apparent that the combination of exceptional workmanship, prompt service, and attention to detail have established RC Marine Electric as Rhode Island's provider of choice for marine electrical services.

Whether you need an electrical system overhaul, a custom-designed shore power solution, or simply require troubleshooting and maintenance for your vessel's electrical components, you can trust RC Marine Electric to get the job done efficiently, professionally, and to the highest standard of quality. With a team of seasoned experts, cutting-edge equipment, and an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction, RC Marine Electric is your go-to provider for all your marine electrical needs in Rhode Island. Reach out to them today to experience the difference that quality service and expertise can make in powering your voyage.

#Marine Electrical in Rhode Island

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