Welcome back to Energy News Weekly!

While the clean energy news cycle definitely slowed down over the holiday weekend, we did get a steady wave of offshore wind industry updates.

One wind turbine stands in ocean against a cloudy sky in the foreground, and another stands in the back.
Credit: Dennis Schroeder / NREL

Last week, Delaware lawmakers sent a bill to the governor that would require the state to buy offshore wind power for its public utilities to use, and federal officials authorized a 2.6 GW wind project off the Massachusetts coast and a 2.8 GW facility off New Jersey. They’re just the latest in a string of big wind moves this year, including the federal government’s announcement of four lease auctions for offshore wind plots in the coming months.

Even if they’re built quickly, these planned wind farms won’t get the Biden administration to its goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, the American Clean Power Association predicts in a new report. The clean energy think tank instead estimates there will be about 14 GW installed by then, with 4 GW being constructed at the moment.

But there’s a big bright spot in the report: The U.S. is projected to quickly catch up and reach the 30 GW goal by 2033, and then accelerate to nearly 40 GW by 2035.

That is, unless Donald Trump wins the election and disrupts offshore wind as he has pledged to do. While wind projects already under construction will likely remain on track, a Trump administration could stall reviews of new facilities, install a moratorium on new offshore wind leases, and reconsider projects that are currently facing lawsuits, Bloomberg details.

— Kathryn Krawczyk

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More clean energy news

🚧 LNG speed bump: After a judge ends the Biden administration’s pause on new liquefied natural gas projects, observers say the 6-month delay may end up being “little more than a speed bump” for the growing industry, as it didn’t affect terminals under construction and only delayed a few projects. (Grist)

💸 IRA achievements: The Inflation Reduction Act has spurred billions of dollars in clean energy investment as it nears its second birthday, and forthcoming tax credit guidance is set to further accelerate its impact. (Utility Dive)

⛰️ Decarbonization goes west: A Western governors group’s decarbonization report calls for pioneering industrial and natural carbon capture and sequestration efforts, but says little about reducing fossil fuel burning or transitioning to clean energy. (Inside Climate News)

🏠 Getting efficient: The U.S. Energy Department has made a “ton of progress” this year on boosting home energy assessments, advancing energy-saving building codes, and promoting efficiency upgrades and electric appliances, advocates say. (Utility Dive)

🔌 Hassle-free electrification: New research shows how households can avoid costly electric panel upgrades if they install efficient devices and stick to a “watt diet” when buying electric appliances. (Canary Media)

⚡ What FERC got done: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission started 2024 with only three of five commissioners but managed to enact major transmission, cost allocation and other rules in the first half of the year. (Utility Dive)

🌧️ Coal ash enforcement update: A judge rejects utilities’ arguments that the U.S. EPA’s coal ash storage restrictions apply only to rain and not groundwater, effectively opening the door for stricter enforcement. (Grist)

🔋 One of a kind: A titanium plant under construction in West Virginia will be powered by solar panels and battery storage, marking one of the first microgrid-powered industrial plants in the country. (Canary Media)

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Kathryn brings her extensive editorial background to the Energy News Network team, where she oversees the early-morning production of ENN’s five email digest newsletters as well as distribution of ENN’s original journalism with other media outlets. From documenting chronic illness’ effect on college students to following the inner workings of Congress, Kathryn has built a broad experience in her more than five years working at major publications including The Week Magazine. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism and information management and technology from Syracuse University.