All posts tagged: offshore

5 offshore wind farms move ahead after Trump admin misses appeal deadline [update]

5 offshore wind farms move ahead after Trump admin misses appeal deadline [update]

Published by skeptic

Photo: Sunrise Wind The US Department of the Interior has missed the final deadline to appeal court rulings allowing five US East Coast offshore wind farms to continue construction. April 10, 2026: In December 2025, the Trump administration ordered construction to stop on five major US offshore wind projects – Sunrise Wind, Vineyard Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, South Fork Wind, and Revolution Wind – citing national security concerns. All five developers challenged the move in court – and all five secured injunctions allowing work to continue. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said he planned to appeal those rulings. But a bipartisan group of senators has been negotiating a long-awaited energy permitting reform bill for months, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, made it clear that if Burgum appealed, then the permitting deal would fall apart. Burgum allowed the final appeal deadline to lapse, and the five wind farms can proceed with construction and come online as planned. Collectively, they’ll be capable of generating …

Michigan regulators escalate crackdown on dozens of illegal offshore gambling sites

Michigan regulators escalate crackdown on dozens of illegal offshore gambling sites

Published by skeptic

Michigan officials are widening their fight against illegal online gambling, taking action against 45 offshore sites accused of targeting players in the state without approval. The Michigan Gaming Control Board said Tuesday (April 7) that it issued cease-and-desist orders to the operators after a months-long investigation. Regulators found the sites were offering casino-style games or sports betting to Michigan users despite lacking the required state licenses. This is thought to be one of the agency’s most expansive enforcement efforts so far. It also builds on a series of recent crackdowns, including earlier actions against twelve offshore operators and another case involving eight unlicensed online casinos. Casino ads on social media may look legitimate, but many are scams that lead to illegal offshore gambling sites. These sites can put your money and personal information at risk. Before you click, make sure the operator is licensed in Michigan. View the list of approved operators… pic.twitter.com/MRH5wqww5f — Michigan Gaming Control Board (@MichiganGCB) April 6, 2026 “The scope of this action sends a clear message: Michigan will not tolerate …

CFTC must crack down on offshore prediction market war bets

CFTC must crack down on offshore prediction market war bets

Published by Sam Flores

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., arrives for the House Democrats’ caucus meeting in the Capitol on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call Group | Getty Images A group of House Democrats pressed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in a letter sent late Monday on why the agency has not cracked down on bets placed on war and other government actions via offshore prediction markets. The letter to CFTC Chair Michael Selig, obtained first by CNBC, questions the agency’s role in regulating prediction markets, which have surged in popularity of late and drawn the ire of a growing number of lawmakers. “Recent high-profile instances of alleged insider trading on prediction market platforms relating to U.S. government actions — including the military’s intervention in Venezuela and our recent attack on Iran —have fueled concern that the CFTC does not have adequate control over these fast-growing markets,” wrote the group, led by Reps. Seth Moulton and Jim McGovern, both Massachusetts Democrats. Read more CNBC politics coverage Well-timed bets on the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro …

UK to construct first floating offshore wind farm in Celtic Sea

UK to construct first floating offshore wind farm in Celtic Sea

Published by skeptic

Up to £64m government funding will back Port Talbot’s development as the first port in the Celtic Sea specifically developed to support floating offshore wind. The new port will help unlock at least 4.5 GW of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea – helping deliver clean, homegrown electricity, protect households from volatile fossil fuel markets and create up to 5,000 new jobs. The new initiative builds upon work by the UK Government to support the steel industry in Port Talbot and to allocate all £122m funding to training for Tata Steel workers and businesses to regenerate the town. The funding will enable Associated British Ports (ABP) to complete the essential design and engineering work needed to build one of the first floating offshore wind ports in the UK at Port Talbot. Why the Celtic Sea? The Celtic Sea offers some of the best conditions for floating offshore wind in Europe. Unlike traditional offshore wind farms, floating turbines are deployed in deeper waters, where they can harness stronger, more consistent wind speeds. This funding is …

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore still matters

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore still matters

Published by Sam Flores

While the colourways lend the watches a more playful edge, all three are serious diving instruments. Rated to 300m of water resistance, they are built for real underwater use as much as resort wear. Build quality is robust, thanks to the stainless-steel cases and black ceramic crowns, while luminescent hands and markers ensure legibility. The watches are powered by the automatic Calibre 4308, another workhorse movement that combines reliability with everyday practicality. CORNERSTONES OF CONTINUITY Taken as a whole, the 2026 lineup of Royal Oak Offshore watches offers a clear indication of why the line remains such a key pillar of Audemars Piguet. They may play with colours, textures and materials, but they do so without straying from the core identity and recognisable design framework that define the collection – and that collectors immediately recognise. In that sense, they continue to evolve while staying true to the spirit of the Offshore from the start. While prototype models and high-complication watches tend to hog the headlines – much as runway fashion pieces attract attention from the …

The US’s largest offshore wind farm just produced its first power

The US’s largest offshore wind farm just produced its first power

Published by skeptic

Photo: CVOW Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, which will be the US’s largest wind farm when it’s complete, has sent its first power to the grid. Dominion CEO Robert Blue confirmed the milestone on LinkedIn, writing that the wind farm had delivered its first power “right on schedule”: This project is a critical part of Virginia’s all‑of‑the‑above energy strategy. As additional turbines are installed, CVOW will continue delivering more power on the path to full completion early next year. The 2.6-gigawatt (GW) CVOW, 28 miles off Virginia Beach and under construction since 2024, is about 70% complete, with 176 monopiles installed. Two Siemens Gamesa 14 MW wind turbines have been installed, and power is currently being generated from one of them. The Charybdis, the first Jones Act-compliant wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), installed the wind turbines. Construction on a third is underway. The turbines will be turned on gradually throughout the rest of the year. The project is scheduled to finish in early 2027. Advertisement – scroll for more content Dominion Energy became …

EU approves €5bn funding for major Danish offshore wind farms

EU approves €5bn funding for major Danish offshore wind farms

Published by skeptic

The European Commission has approved a €5bn Danish support programme aimed at scaling up offshore wind farms, marking a significant step in the EU’s push toward a net-zero energy system by 2030. The decision enables Denmark to move forward with two major offshore wind energy projects that together could supply roughly a quarter of the country’s annual electricity demand. The scheme, cleared under the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF) introduced in June 2025, is designed to incentivise long-term investment in renewable infrastructure while maintaining market discipline. Commenting on the investment, Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, said: “With this €5bn scheme, Denmark will be able to deploy offshore wind capacities faster, in line with the Clean Industrial Deal. “It will also help Denmark and the EU to reduce their dependence on fossil fuel imports and enhance their renewable energy share, while ensuring that any potential competition distortions are kept to a minimum.” Two large-scale offshore wind farms planned At the centre of the programme are two offshore wind …

US signs nearly billion deal with France’s TotalEnergies to end offshore wind projects

US signs nearly $1 billion deal with France’s TotalEnergies to end offshore wind projects

Published by Sam Flores

US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum made the announcement at the annual CERAWeek conference in Houston, an event where he appeared alongside TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne to sign the agreement. “We’re partnering with TotalEnergies to unleash nearly $1 billion that was tied up in a lease deposit that was directed towards the prior administration’s subsidies that were pushing expensive weather-dependent offshore wind,” said Burgum. Pouyanne welcomed the deal, saying it redirected TotalEnergies’s $928 million investment in two wind farm leases off the North Carolina and New York coasts into US natural gas projects, in particular the Rio Grande LNG plant. Read moreWith its wind farms, Danish island of Samsø shows path forward during energy crisis French giant TotalEnergies had four gigawatts (GW) of offshore projects under development, including 3 GW for the New York Bight project and 1 GW in North Carolina. But at the end of 2024, Pouyanne announced that they were “put on hold” due to the unlikelihood of obtaining federal licenses from the Trump administration. Under former president Joe Biden, the United States …

UK upgrades air defence systems to expand offshore wind

UK upgrades air defence systems to expand offshore wind

Published by skeptic

The UK Government has confirmed plans to modernise key elements of its air defence systems, a move expected to remove longstanding technical barriers to offshore wind development and unlock up to 10 GW of additional capacity. At the centre of the initiative is the procurement of advanced air defence radars to address signal interference from large offshore wind farms. These installations have historically disrupted radar performance, complicating the detection and tracking of aircraft within UK airspace. By introducing updated radar technologies, authorities aim to ensure that expanding renewable energy infrastructure does not compromise national defence capabilities. Energy Minister Michael Shanks explained: “This new radar technology will unlock a key barrier holding back offshore wind farms, so that we can deliver the clean homegrown power needed to protect families from volatile fossil fuel markets, while bolstering our national security.” Addressing radar interference from offshore wind Offshore wind turbines can create clutter and false signals on conventional radar systems, an issue that has constrained project approvals in certain regions. The newly acquired air defence radars are engineered to filter out these anomalies, allowing for accurate monitoring of airspace …

Construction Finishes on a Major Offshore Wind Farm, the First During Trump’s Tenure

Construction Finishes on a Major Offshore Wind Farm, the First During Trump’s Tenure

Published by Sam Flores

Construction is finished on a major Massachusetts offshore wind farm, the first project to reach this stage during President Donald Trump’s time in office. Offshore construction was completed Friday night on Vineyard Wind with the installation of the final blades, Craig Gilvarg, a spokesperson for the project, said Saturday. While Revolution Wind just began delivering power, Vineyard Wind has been doing so for over a year as more turbines were finished. Vineyard Wind is a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, located 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts. It has 62 turbines that will generate a total of 800 megawatts. That is enough clean electricity to power about 400,000 homes. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has said the completion of this project is essential to ensuring the state can lower costs, meet rising energy demand, advance its climate goals and sustain thousands of good-paying jobs. Vineyard Wind submitted state and federal project plans to build an offshore wind farm in 2017. Massachusetts had committed to offshore wind …