Offshore wind’s future in the Southeast

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Aug 10, 2022 View in browser   By Timothy Cama Presented by Williams An offshore wind farm. | John Moore/Getty Images Democrats are poised to undo former President Donald Trump's moratorium on offshore wind on the southern Atlantic coast. But what comes next isn't clear. The "Inflation Reduction Act," due for a House vote this week, would allow new wind lease sales off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, partly reversing Trump's 2020 order that blocked leasing there, David Iaconangelo and Heather Richards write . But with the exception of North Carolina, wind energy, onshore and off, hasn't seen as much interest in those southeastern states as it has farther north. South Carolina, for instance, might see its benefits come from being a supplier of wind equipment rather than as a host of wind projects, said Hailey Deres, program associate at the Southeastern Wind Coalition. "I don't think that there is going to be any immediate push for an offshore wind project even if the moratorium is lifted," she said. Why not? The potential costs of the developments are part of the issue and might matter more in the Southeast than elsewhere. Electric utilities also could play a bigger role in the calculus than they do farther north. "It's really hard to build anything, particularly these massive offshore wind projects, without some involvement from the regulated utilities in all of these states," said Aaron Barr , global head of onshore wind research for Wood Mackenzie. "The pathway for offshore wind in the Southeast is really through these regulated utilities." Hurricane fears, tourism and lower wind speeds also have roles. Tar Heel State stands out North Carolina, however, could buck the trend. It has the only onshore wind farm across the four states, and the federal government sold two offshore wind leases there in May, before the moratorium took effect last month. Those areas went to utility Duke Energy and TotalEnergies SE, the French oil and gas major. "It would just be leaving a utility-scale resource, you know, off the table as we're going through this energy transition," North Carolina Rep. Deborah Ross , a Democrat who led the push to remove the moratorium, said of the threat it presents. "That's the real reason for offshore wind is because it's utility scale." Check out the  POLITICO Energy podcast  — all the energy and environmental politics and policy news you need for the day, in just five minutes. Listen and subscribe for free at  politico.com/energy-podcast . On today's episode: Camille von Kaenel explains what greens want from the final weeks of California's legislative session . Listen to today's POLITICO Energy podcast! It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host today,  Timothy Cama , with help from Lesley Clark . Arianna Skibell will be back soon! Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to  tcama@eenews.net . Trends This World Resources Institute graphic shows where the world's energy (and other emitting sectors) comes from and is used, but adds a third step: which greenhouse gases those sectors emit. Not surprisingly, carbon dioxide is the main gas, with 74.1 percent. And energy consumption is, far and away, the top emitting sector, accounting for 75.6 percent of emissions. Check out WRI's full report for an interactive version of the graphic — called a "sankey diagram" — and more takeaways. Power Centers A man takes photos of floodwaters from Hurricane Lane in Hilo, Hawaii, in 2018. | Mario Tama/Getty Images How opioid ruling affects climate case A major federal court ruling on opioid addiction could help oil and gas companies avoid having to pay out for the impacts of climate change, Lesley Clark writes. The court found last month that three opioid distributors would not have to pay billions of dollars for their alleged role in the addiction crisis. Now oil company lawyers are arguing the same principle should absolve their clients. Read more about that here. Good news on gas The price at the gasoline pump has dropped for eight straight weeks, helping overall inflation slow in July, write Sam Sutton and Victoria Guida. It's another sign that eye-popping inflation could be easing as the Federal Reserve aggressively raises interest rates. It's a welcome development for a White House that has notched recent legislative victories but has been dogged by rising inflation and sky-high gas prices. Economists are still urging caution, noting a "lot more heavy lifting in front of us." Read the story here.   A message from Williams: Did you know Williams was the first North American midstream company to announce comprehensive climate targets? We're taking action, right here, right now, to meet our near-term goal of a 56% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Learn more in our latest Sustainability Report. Question: How many homes and businesses use natural gas in the U.S.? Scroll down for the answer.   In Other News Photovoltaic solar panels. | Andreas Rentz/Getty Images Automaker Ford Motor Co. and DTE Energy forged an agreement to power Ford's Michigan facilities with new solar energy . They estimate the deal will slash as much as 600,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Heirs to two major oil fortunes are helping fund recent high-profile protests against fossil fuels. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) indicated he may veto the state's climate bill over a provision that would allow some municipalities to ban gas hookups in new construction. Question Corner The science, policy and politics driving the energy transition can feel miles away. But we're all affected on an individual and communal level — from hotter days and higher gas prices to home insurance rates and food supply. Want to know more? Send us your questions and we'll get you answers.   A message from Williams:   Subscriber Zone Turbines under construction at a wind farm near Angermuende, Germany. | Sean Gallup/Getty Images Democrats are celebrating a giant climate bill, but the U.S. isn't necessarily the biggest player when it comes to efforts to tackle climate change. Other countries are embarking on even bigger measures. The European Union is warning that the tax credit for electric vehicles in the Democratic climate bill may violate World Trade Organization rules and could undermine U.S. and EU efforts to address climate change. A prominent coalition that played a key role in pushing New York to adopt emissions reductions mandates is backing away from a carbon fee as the sole source of funding and plans to identify other options for carrying out the state's climate law. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   A message from Williams: Answer: Williams safely and reliably handles 30% of the country's natural gas. We're proud that our infrastructure is part of the solution ensuring that natural gas reaches the 77 million homes and business utilizing natural gas in the continental U.S. We understand the direct link between sustainable business operations, corporate stewardship in communities and long-term business success. As a result of our ESG imperatives, Williams ranked No. 1 in its peer group in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for 2021 and was the only U.S. energy company to be included in both their world and North American indices. Williams is leading the next generation of the energy marketplace which is rooted in a strategic energy mix – natural gas, next gen gas, hydrogen, solar, wind, and other emerging technologies that must meet growing energy demand without sacrificing reliability, affordability, or safety. Learn more in our new Sustainability Report.     Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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