• 26 Crew Transfer Vessels (CTV)
• 7 Service Operation Vessels (SOV)
• 2 different types of installation vessels
• 2 tugs and barges

On November 21 2023, ACP filed comments expressing concern about negative impacts the proposed rules are already having on clean energy tax equity.

These rules would quadruple the capital requirements for renewable tax equity investments after 2025. But since many current PTC and ITC deals would extend beyond that date, it has already essentially frozen the renewable tax equity market.

ACP is urging the administration to provide interim relief by providing that legacy clean energy tax equity investments entered into before the effective date of the rule (2025) be captured under the status quo (100% risk weight if the investments are less than 10% of a bank’s books) and to ultimately issue a final rule clarifying renewable energy tax equity investments are assigned a simple 100% risk weight (with the 10% threshold lifted). ACP is currently working on an advocacy plan with federal agencies and the Hill.

The American Clean Power Association (ACP)’s Drivetrain Working Group developed the ACP Gearbox Operations Playbook, with the intent to provide guidance for day–to–day operations of wind turbine gearboxes. Common troubleshooting scenarios and solutions will be discussed. The Drivetrain Working Group represents decades worth of expertise and experience, gained from wind and other industry sectors. The group’s objective is to inform, train and support wind industry technicians, engineers, and managers in their efforts to improve reliability and project performance.

The American Clean Power Association (ACP) released its Clean Power Quarterly Market Report | Q3 2023, showing that the industry brought online 5,551 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale clean power capacity in the third quarter of 2023, enough to power 813,000 American homes. Third quarter installations increased by 13% over the same period in 2022 and set a record for the strongest third quarter on record. Across the country, clean energy developers began commercial operations at 88 projects across 24 states.  

 Key Highlights | Q3 2023 

• Installations: Developers began commercial operations at 88 projects across 24 states in Q3. The industry installed 5,551 MW of utility-scale clean energy in Q3, representing enough power for 813,000 American homes. 
• Pipeline: Solar continues to dominate the project pipeline, accounting for 58% of clean power capacity currently under development. Battery storage and land-based wind each represented 15% of the pipeline, with offshore wind making up 12%. 
• Sector Snapshot: Overall, solar led the quarter with 3,121 MW of installations, with battery and land-based wind following at 2,142 MW and 288 MW, respectively. 
• Delays: Since the end of 2021, over 56 GW of clean power capacity has been delayed. This includes 16,639 MW of projects that were expected to come online during the first three quarters of 2023.
  • Accounting for 67% of all delays, solar projects appear to be most impacted.  
  • On average, projects are delayed by 14 months. 

• Power Purchase Agreements: Through Q3 of 2023, solar comprised 59% of all PPA announcements while land-based wind represented 32%. 
• Compared to Q3 of 2022, solar PPA announcements for this quarter decreased by 59%, wind by 21%, and battery storage by 55%. 
• Progress to Date: Across the U.S., cumulative operating clean power capacity now stands at over 243 GW, accounting for 16% of total electricity generation.  
  • California, a leader in clean energy, accounted for 1,900 MW (34% of clean power commissioned in Q3), while Texas and Arizona took the second and third spots, with 949 MW and 516 MW respectively.  
  • Cumulatively in 2023, California leads the nation with 3,031 MW installed, followed by Texas, which added 2,381 MW to the grid and Florida, which added 1,578 MW. 

Read the Report

• Full Report: The 63-page report is available to ACP Members only at the link above.
• Public Report: The free public version of the report, which provides a summary of key takeaways and graphics from the full report, is available for download below.
• Appendices: Interested in the data behind the report? Members can download the appendices here and check out the underlying data in spreadsheet form here.
• Press Release: Read our press release for more.

Some key takeaways include:

• The Western North Atlantic Ocean where the North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) occurs is a highly dynamic physical environment consisting of three main oceanographic regions, each with a distinct oceanography: the Gulf of Maine, Mid- Atlantic Bight, and South Atlantic Bight.
• Recent shifts in NARW distribution and foraging habitat utilization within the Western North Atlantic have been observed and are believed to be associated with shifts in copepod prey distributions caused by warming sea surface temperatures related to climate change.
• Local or regional scale fragmentation of copepod aggregations has been observed and is projected to continue with subsequent declines in copepod abundance under future climate scenarios.
• Current foraging habitats may not support sufficient prey populations to allow growth of the NARW population based on the relatively low reproductive rate presently observed for NARW. As waters continue to warm due to climate change, current foraging areas may once again be abandoned as NARWs continue to shift their distribution in search of prey.
• Offshore wind farms can impact hydrodynamics in the surrounding ocean in two principal ways: 1) through an atmospheric wake effect that reduces wind speeds behind wind turbines that can reach the ocean surface, reducing surface wind stress and wind-induced currents, and 2) through subsurface mixing induced by the presence of the turbine substructure within the water column.
• Hydrodynamics and wind wake effects around offshore wind turbines are driven by physical ocean processes including tides, stratification, water depth, and wind-driven currents; and atmospheric processes such as turbulence and stability, all of which have significant natural variation.

Read the report to learn more.

The US Wind Watch | H1 2023 full report is available to ACP members at an exclusive discount. Wood Mackenzie and ACP produce an executive summary that is complementary to our members.

About the US Wind Watch Report  

The US Wind Watch, a new report released by the American Clean Power Association (ACP) and Wood Mackenzie is forecasting over 90GW of wind energy will be installed within the US by the end of 2028, including offshore wind projects, onshore wind development and repowering of aging wind farms.

The groundbreaking report leverages the industry-leading market insights from Wood Mackenzie, combined with the deep industry network of the American Clean Power Association.

Get the data needed to support your business by purchasing the report.

ACP Members get discounted access to the US Wind Watch Report using a code found in an email on October 5 from membership@cleanpower.org. For access to the ACP member coupon code, please email this address.

Not an ACP member? Join now. 

To redeem the yearly subscription, please contact Wood Mackenzie. 

The Source of Wind Energy Information and Data for Hundreds of Media Outlets 

The quarterly reports from ACP and Wood Mackenzie are routinely cited by hundreds of media outlets as the authoritative source of wind energy industry data. International, national, local, and trade press outlets rely on the data to develop a better picture of where the industry is heading and how wind energy is being integrated into state resource planning and competitive markets.

About Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables 

Wood Mackenzie, a Verisk Analytics business, is a trusted source of commercial intelligence for the world’s natural resources sector. We empower clients to make better strategic decisions, providing objective analysis and advice on assets, companies and markets. For more information, visit: www.woodmac.com or follow on Twitter @WoodMackenzie. 

This page was last updated October 5, 2023.

Key Takeaways:

• Studies show that there are very few negative effects on tourism and property values from offshore wind farms. Instead, tourists are drawn to coastal areas to see these innovative clean energy facilities firsthand.
• With new farms come new experiences—and new tourists: sightseeing flights or boat tours, informational centers, and viewing platforms are built, attracting a host of new tourists.
• Most beachgoers say they would be unaffected or positively affected by the presence of offshore wind farms. A survey from the University of Delaware that focused on offshore wind’s impact on 1,725 beachgoers’ experience found that the impact was minuscule.