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Readying for First Offshore Wind Farm, New York Launches New Procurement, Infrastructure Investments

January 11, 2022

As New York this year readies to build the 132-MW South Fork Wind Farm—its first offshore wind project—the state will dedicate $ 500 million in funding to enable offshore wind manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure. The investment announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul as part of New York’s 2022 State of the State plan is just one of a suite of measures aimed at kickstarting the state’s offshore wind industry.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) on Jan. 5 unveiled plans to launch its third offshore wind procurement this year, a measure that could support the construction of 2 GW in new projects. The state’s designated R&D agency also moved to initiate a new “master plan”—Master Plan 2.0: Deep Water—“to unlock the next frontier of offshore wind development.” The state additionally said it would work to identify strategic wind cable corridors and access key points of interconnection of the grid as part of a broader plan to realize an offshore wind transmission network.…

Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Blueprint

April 2, 2021

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The post Power Infrastructure Prominent in Biden’s $ 2.25 Trillion Blueprint appeared first on POWER Magazine.

A major chunk of President Joe Biden’s $ 2.25 trillion transformational plan to overhaul the nation’s infrastructure is dedicated to re-energizing America’s power infrastructure. The initiatives garnered the industry’s approval—with notable exceptions.

The “American Jobs Plan,” released on March 31, strives to jumpstart the U.S. economy, which drooped under burdens posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. But according to senior administration officials, forward-looking initiatives unveiled on Wednesday are also “about focusing on how can we make a historic capital investment in America to improve our competitiveness, create millions of jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, and position our economy to face the crises and the threats we will face in the future, and finally address the climate crisis as a nation.”

Along with initiatives to fix highways, rebuild bridges, upgrade ports, airports, transit systems, drinking water systems, digital infrastructure, and public institutional infrastructure, the plan seeks to revitalize manufacturing, secure U.S.…

Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Drone Intrusions

November 2, 2019

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The post Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Drone Intrusions appeared first on POWER Magazine.

Drones represent a classic good news/bad news scenario. The good news is great. The bad news is terrifying.

On the good news front, drones can keep utility-sector workers safely on the ground, with the machines performing aerial inspections at a fraction of what it would cost to do with manned aircraft. They provide faster, easier inspection of boilers, stacks, towers, and other infrastructure.

1. Drones—unmanned aerial vehicles—are often used to conduct inspections and collect data from power generation sites, and transmission and distribution assets. But they also can pose a security risk with their ability to intrude upon areas humans are not able to access. Courtesy: S. Hermann and F. Richter / Pixabay

The bad news? Drones (Figure 1) represent an enormous threat across the energy sector—from production to distribution.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security notes: “There are 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.”…

Enbridge, Spectra to Merge, Create Energy Infrastructure Giant

September 10, 2016

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A merger proposed between Canadian firm Enbridge and Houston-based Spectra Energy Corp. could create the largest energy infrastructure company in North America.

The companies announced on September 6 that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in a stock-for-stock merger transaction that has an enterprise value of $ 127 billion. The transaction was reportedly approved by both companies’ boards of directors and could close in the first quarter of 2017, if shareholders and regulators approve it.

If completed, Enbridge shareholders would hold 57% and Spectra shareholders would own 43% of the combined company, which is to be called “Enbridge Inc.” It would be headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, though Houston would remain the company’s gas pipelines business unit center.

The merger would bring together the companies’ myriad energy infrastructure assets in North America, including liquids and gas pipelines, U.S. and Canadian midstream businesses, a regulated utility portfolio, and several renewable projects.

“Enbridge has been assessing opportunities to extend and diversify our sources of growth,” Enbridge President and CEO Al Monaco told investors in a webcast on Sept.…