• Energy

US Coast Guard Backs Wind Developers’ Plan in New England

• Coast Guard
• conservation
• fishing
• ocean energy
• offshore wind
• science
• shipping lanes
• Vineyard Wind
• wind energy

President Trump has slowed the development of offshore wind in the Atlantic, but the U.S. Coast Guard just completed its study of how wind farms in the ocean off New England would impact ports in the region and its recommendations are “largely in line with a proposal that the five developers that hold leases for offshore wind sites off New England made late last year,” according to State House News Service in Massachusetts. 

Why This Matters:  Regional fishers advocated for a grid layout with navigation lanes 4 nautical-miles apart — arguing that wider spacing would be necessary “to preserve safe and efficient passage along the routes most often used by fishermen.”

• Politics

The Essence of Our Essential Government

• Coast Guard
• emergencies
• environment
• government
• shutdown
• storm
• taxpayers
• weather

The government shutdown has been an ordeal but also instructive. It was devastating to government workers, contractors and grantees, who were directly harmed by the failures of our leaders to reach a funding agreement and pay them. But taking a step back, and trying to find any silver lining in this 36-day nightmare, we can see three.

• People

Heroes of the Week: Coasties Risking Their Lives To Keep Us Safe — Even Without Pay

• Coast Guard
• deploy
• emergencies
• hero
• military
• rescue
• search
• shutdown

Unlike the other branches, there is one military service whose members are about to miss a paycheck.  The U.S. Coast Guard is the only military service that is “deployed” all over the nation every day 24/7.  And the brave Coasties who are working without pay are risking their lives to protect us.  According to a Coast Guard spokeswoman, they are continuing to provide essential operations “for national security or that protect life and property during partial government shutdowns,” such as search-and-rescue, securing the nation’s ports and coastlines, other law enforcement duties and environmental response. And for that, you are our heroes — this week and every week.