Published on June 21st, 2017 | by Joshua S Hill

June 21st, 2017 by Joshua S Hill

The northeast of Scotland is poised to become the global center for offshore wind scientific research, following the announcement this week from Swedish power company Vattenfall, which announced the successful projects that will take part in a3m research program at its European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre.

The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in Aberdeen Bay, Scotland, is a 92.4 megawatt (MW), 11 turbine offshore wind test and demonstration facility. The EOWDC was even constructed in a way which served as a demonstration, built with VestasV164-8.4MW turbines on top ofsuction bucket foundations, an industry first.

Though the EOWDC will play a big role in the offshore wind industry, it also briefly found itself headline news around the world, by virtue of a lawsuit that Donald Trump, now US President, took out against the developers for building an offshore wind farm where it could be seen from hisTrump International Golf Club. Thankfully for all, the case was thrown out by the UK Supreme Court back in December of 2015.

In November of last year, Vattenfall the owner of the EOWDC announced that it had shortlisted offshore wind projects for a 3 million scientific research program to investigate the environmental impacts of offshore wind, to be conducted at the EOWDC. This week, Vattenfall announced the winners of the process, part of what is believed to be the worlds largest-scale offshore wind research program, and one which will likely make Scotland a global center for such research in the future.

The announcement of these successful projects, including three in Scotland, is an exciting one with each having the potential to unlock fascinating new insights into the offshore wind environment and determine influencing environmental factors, saidAdam Ezzamel, EOWDC project director at Vattenfall. The 92.4MW EOWDC test and demonstration facility offers an unmissable opportunity to conduct this pioneering research and monitoring programme. We are pleased to be facilitating such innovative research in the North-east which will bring considerable benefits to the region as well as the industry and policy-making.

From almost a hundred applications across the UK and around the world, Vattenfall narrowed it down to a shortlist of 16, and then down to the successful final four. They are:

The panel were delighted with the response to programme call, and received many proposals supported by strong research teams involving some of the most prominent experts in their respective fields, saidProfessor Stuart Gibb, chair of the Scientific Panel Professor and Director of the Environmental Research Institute at the University of the Highlands and Islands.

We believe those projects that have been successful will effectively inform development of the EOWDC facility and deliver real, tangible data that increases our understanding of the relationship between offshore renewable energy developments and the environment. Such knowledge will be highly effective in informing future planning and consenting activities.

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Tags: Aberdeen Bay, Aberdeenshire, EOWDC, European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre, Marine Scotland Science, Oxford Brookes University, River Dee Trust, Scotland, SMRU Consulting, University of St Andrews, Vattenfall

Joshua S Hill I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

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Scotland Set To Become Heart Of Offshore Wind Scientific Research - CleanTechnica

t was an 8-0 vote by the Virginia Beach city council to strike down offshore drilling off the coast and gas exploration, including seismic testing.

Chenue Her, WVEC 11:22 PM. EDT June 20, 2017

Oil drilling rig (Photo: Associated Press)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) -- It was an 8-0 vote by the Virginia Beach city council to strike down offshore drilling off the coast and gas exploration, including seismic testing.

Councilwomen Shannon Kane and Jessica Abbott weren't at the meeting, so neither voted. Councilman John Moss abstained from voting, citing a possible conflict of interest because he's employed by the Department of Defense.

This vote is crucial for those who oppose it, after they said the Trump administration has considered reversing a previous decision that makes Atlantic waters off limits to drilling.

"We're very proud of the city council for taking this stand. We've worked really hard in Virginia Beach to clean up our water ways, protect our beaches, and there's just too much at risk," said Karen Forget, Executive Director of Lynnhaven River NOW.

Forget says this decision is huge not just for the waters, but many other aspects of the city.

"We feel all around this isn't good for tourism, it's not good for the importance of the military in the area, our economy," she said.

"The seismic testing part of that, we know that kind of testing environment provides a great impact to marine mammals and a lot of other species as well," said Mark Swingle, the Director of Research and Conservation at the Virginia Aquarium and Science Center.

The city said the tourism industry brings about $1.4 billion in every year and opponents of drilling think any sort of disaster could cripple that.

Retired Navy Captain Joe Bouchard said potential mistakes could hurt the military as well.

"The training out there would be impacted. The test and evaluation of new weapons and tactics could be impacted. Huge safety concerns," he told 13News Now.

Any position the council makes will be a recommendation to President Trump.

He'll make the final decision.

In 2010, council adopted a resolution supporting offshore oil and gas exploration.

Five years later, oceanfront businesses urged council to change its position on drilling, so city council repealed the ordinance.

In 2016, the "Resort Advisory Commission" asked city council to go against seismic testing.

2017 WVEC-TV

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Va. Beach city council votes to oppose offshore drilling - WVEC-TV - 13newsnow.com

Phase 1 will produce 450 MMBO

ExxonMobil (ticker: XOM), Hess (ticker: HES) and CNOOC today announced FID for Phase 1 development of the Liza field in offshore Guyana.

Initially discovered in May 2015, the Liza field is located about 120 miles offshore from Guyana, in about 5,700 feet of water. Liza is in the Stabroek Area, a large offshore lease block owned by the three partner companies. Hess reports that Stabroek is 6.6 million acres in size, or 1,150 times the size of a standard GOM block.

(Click to enlarge)

Source: Hess

120 MBOPD peak production planned

Phase 1 of development of the Liza field will involve a total of 17 wells, drilled from four drill centers. Eight wells will produce oil, while six will inject water into the reservoir and three will inject gas. A floating production, storage and offloading vessel will process production. ExxonMobil estimates Phase 1 will have peak production around 120 MBOPD. In total, the operation will recover about 450 MMBO. ExxonMobil reports that Phase 1 will cost just over $4.4 billion, including $1.2 billion for the FPSO.

Based on Hess reports of its share of development costs (not including the FPSO cost), the companies will spend about $370 million this year, $830 million in 2018 and $1.1 billion in 2019. The remaining $900 million will be spent in 2020 and 2021, but the timing is less certain. First oil is expected in 2020, less than five years after initial discovery.

Further discoveries support more development

Additional exploratory work is in progress, as the Stabroek block is large enough to hold many different plays. ExxonMobil reports that the recently-drilled Liza-4 well encountered nearly 200 feet of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs." While the area explored by Liza-4 will not be developed in Phase 1, the successful result will be a major factor in considering Phase 2. With the success of Liza-4, Hess estimates gross discovered recoverable resource for the Stabroek block is between 2 and 2.5 billion barrels.

ExxonMobil is the operator of the Stabroek block, and holds a 45 percent interest. Hess owns a 30 percent stake, while CNOOC owns 25 percent.

By Oil and Gas 360

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Exxon Moves Forward With Offshore Guyana Project - OilPrice.com

In two recent blogs, I have looked toward the impending inflection point in the offshore drilling cycle, first exploring an uptick in the number of offshore vessel support company bankruptcy filings as the industry enters the last stage of the downturn.

Last week, Hornbeck Offshore announced a new financing arrangement to improve the companys liquidity, removing at least temporarily the impending doom it faced from the upcoming maturity of its long-term debt. The news was positive for the companys shareholders, but it doesnt erase the problem of too many vessels chasingtoo few jobs, which confronts all offshore service vessel operators.

More recently, we highlighted the news that offshore drillers are starting to receive more inquiries and tenders for work, although the market remains as competitive as it has been for the last two years. The prospect of more offshore work on the horizon is good news, especially with oil companies figuring out how to reduce their well breakeven costs below $50 a barrel.

These trends and improvements were all underway before the recent retreat of global oil prices as OPECs production cut deal does not appear to be producing the desired results. Global inventories are falling much too slowly to encourage traders to bid up oil prices. Instead, prices have dropped.

The reality is that global oil inventories are falling, but itsbeen too slow for those investors seeking instant corrections.

Traders are now concerned that oil demand growth will slow and/or OPEC members will opt to cheat on their lower production quotas, thus preventing the oil market from improving to the point that it would support sharply higher prices.

The slow decline in inventories in the first half of this year has been caused somewhat by increased output from OPEC members Nigeria and Libya, who were exempt from the organizations production cuts. North American oil output is also growing in response to higher drilling activity in the U.S. and Canada.

Predicting cycle tops and bottoms is virtually impossible to do. They are only seen in hindsight. The current offshore fundamentals are consistent with a cycle bottom and an inflection point that will bring an improvement in business. The current weakness in global oil prices is influenced by extremely pessimistic near-term sentiment about industry fundamentals. That sentiment can just as quickly shift to the positive without an obvious event.

Waiting for that shift to occur is frustrating because its timing cannot be influenced. There are no signs that industry fundamentals are suddenly deteriorating. Rather, they continue to improve, albeit slowly. A year from now, the industry will look back and reflect on how the cycles inflection point was reached this summer, even though it is not currently evident. Hopefully, the offshore sectors recovery will be similar to that of the onshore sector where the U.S. rig count has risen for 22 consecutive weeks.

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The agony of waiting for an offshore rebound - WorkBoat (blog)

wtkr.com

Virginia Beach City Council votes to oppose offshore drilling | WTKR ... wtkr.com City council members are expected to come out in opposition to offshore drilling during a vote on Tuesday night. Va. Beach city council to vote to oppose offshore drilling - WVEC-TV13newsnow.com all 3 news articles »

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Virginia Beach City Council votes to oppose offshore drilling | WTKR ... - wtkr.com

BBC News

Aberdeen Bay offshore wind research projects announced BBC News The economic and environmental impact of offshore wind is to be studied as part of a multi-million pound research programme based in Aberdeen Bay. Other projects being funded by the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) will examine ... North-east Scotland poised to become centre of offshore wind scientific researchYour Renewable News (press release) Aberdeen funds R&D quartetreNews all 6 news articles »

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Aberdeen Bay offshore wind research projects announced - BBC News

Saudi Arabia said Monday its forces had captured and were questioning three members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard who were intending to carry out an attack on a major offshore oilfield in the Persian Gulf.

Saudi Arabia's Information Ministry said in a statement the three were onboard a boat carrying a large number of explosives headed toward the Marjan oil field, located off the kingdom's eastern shores between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The statement said the three were detained on Friday and accused them of intending to carry out a terrorist operation in Saudi territorial waters.

Earlier in the day, a statement published on the state-run Saudi Press Agency said Saudi naval forces had disrupted a planned attack by three boats "bearing red and white flags" that raced toward its Marjan offshore oil field. It said sailors fired warning shots and captured one of the boats while two others escaped in the assault. It said the captured boat "was loaded with weapons for (a) subversive purpose."

The announcement comes after Iranian state television accused Saudi Arabia's coast guard of killing an Iranian fisherman on Friday. Several Iranian news websites also reported that two Iranian boats were shot at over the weekend as they approached a Saudi oil rig.

Majid Aghababaei, an Interior Ministry official in Iran, said the three men detained are fishermen from Iran's port city of Bushehr and blamed choppy Gulf waters for the boat's divergence. In remarks to Iran's ILNA news agency, he said there is no proof they are military personnel.

Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have long been strained with each country backing opposing sides of the war in Syria and other conflicts in the region.

Saudi Arabia and Iran broke off diplomatic ties with one another last year after the kingdom executed a prominent Saudi Shiite cleric, sparking backlash among Iranians who ransacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran.

More recently, a pair of deadly attacks in Tehran claimed by the Islamic State group further inflamed tensions between the regional rivals. Iran has indirectly blamed Saudi Arabia for the attacks and has vowed revenge. On Sunday evening, Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched ballistic missiles at IS targets in Syria for the first time in that country's six-year-long war.

Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Read more here:

Saudi Arabia claims arrest of Iran's Revolutionary Guard - ABC News

Offshore wind equipment is reaching record heights and unforeseen low costs that are allowing it to be deployed with fewer and fewer subsidies.

MAKEConsulting (which recently joined the GTM and Wood Mackenzie family) has a newanalyst note that further illustrates the increasing competitiveness of offshore wind.

Here are a few recent and relevant data points.

The cost declines in wind come from continued improvements in technology and installation techniques. As Sonal Patel of Power Magazine reports,"Costs for offshore wind in Europe have fallen 50 percent in two years."

Costs began tumbling in 2015, when the industry boasted of a then-record-low cost of $111 per megawatt-hour at Denmark's Horns Rev 3 wind farm. Just 18 months later, Borssele 3 and 4 in the Netherlands was priced at $61.23 per megawatt-hour.

MAKE sketches out where the industry stands in this chart -- and shows that it's ahead of schedule on price.

As GTM's Jeff St. John reported, McKinsey has reached similar conclusions about offshore wind -- fast growth, increased investment, bigger wind farms, falling costs and new technologies are driving new project bids to record lows in Europe. McKinsey cites a recent bid in the Netherlands at $61.10 per megawatt-hour and a winning Danish bid of $55.94 per megawatt-hour.

St. John adds: "In a German auction in April, the average winning bid for the projects was far below expectations, with some bids coming in at the wholesale electricity price -- meaning no subsidy is required."

The technological advances are happening within the turbine itself, as well as with innovative foundation designs.

GTM's Stephen Lacey reports that Vestas just released a 9.5-megawatt offshore turbine that is "two to three times bigger than the standard turbines from only a few years ago."McKinsey predicts that 13- to 15-megawatt models could hit the market by 2024. Germany's Senvion has plans for a 10-megawatt offshore wind turbine, according to WindPower Monthly, which notes that researchers are toying with the idea of 50-megawatt capacity turbines.

McKinsey notes: "This reduces the cost per megawatt. Even as turbines have become larger, they have also become better. In the 1990s, the expected lifetime of offshore wind parks was only 15 years; now it is closer to 25 years, and new sites project an operational lifetime of 30 years."

There are innovations in foundation design with new construction methods including building the turbine onshore and floating it out to sea.

Offshore wind still costs about 40 percent more than onshore wind. But the cost of financing offshore has gone down as investors gain more confidence in the technology. Europe leads in offshore wind by a long shot, followed distantly by China, Japan and the U.S.

McKinsey notes that because offshore wind is at an earlier stage of development, its prices can be expected to fall further, faster, thus improving its competitive position.

Will cheap offshore wind ever make a dent in America? Listen to our conversation with Foley Hoag's Alicia Barton on The Interchange podcast about new activity on the East Coast.

Link:

Offshore Wind Costs: Toward a Zero-Subsidy Era? | Greentech Media - Greentech Media

Members of the Saudi armed forces walk past F-15 fighter jets at King Salman airbase. The countrys navy intercepted three boats last week. Photograph: Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images

The Saudi navy said it had captured three members of Irans Revolutionary Guards from a boat seized last week as the vessel approached Saudi Arabias offshore Marjan oilfield, Riyadh has said.

Irans interior ministry denied the Saudi claim, however, saying that the Saudi navy had opened fire on two Iranian fishing boats.

Relations between the two countries are at their worst in years, as they support opposite sides in conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, and each accuses the other of destabilising regional security.

In a statement on Monday, the Saudi information ministry said: This was one of three vessels which were intercepted by Saudi forces. It was captured with the three men on board, the other two escaped.

The three captured members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are now being questioned by Saudi authorities, the statement said, citing a Saudi official.

The vessel, which was seized last Friday, was carrying explosives and the those captured intended to conduct a terrorist act in Saudi territorial waters, the statement claimed.

An earlier report from the Saudi Press Agency said the Saudi navy had fired warning shots at the two boats that managed to escape.

But Majid Babaei, the director of Irans border agency, told the semi-official Youth Journalists Club (YJC) news agency that the Saudi claim was untrue.

The issue is about two fishing boats and Saudis have fired at the boats, which resulted in the death of one fisherman. The people targeted were fishermen and the boats they were sailing on were fishing boats, he said.

Irans Tasnim news agency said on Saturday that Saudi border guards had opened fire on an Iranian fishing boat in the Gulf on Friday, killing a fisherman. It said the boat was one of two Iranian boats fishing in the Gulf that had been pushed off course by waves.

Tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia have steadily deteriorated. On 5 June, Riyadh and other Arab governments severed ties with Qatar, citing its support of Iran as a reason.

Days later suicide bombings and shootings in Tehran killed at least 17 people. Shia Muslim Iran repeated accusations that Saudi Arabia funds Sunni Islamist militants, including Islamic State. Riyadh has denied involvement in the attacks.

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Iran and Saudi Arabia offer clashing accounts of offshore confrontation - The Guardian

AVALON U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd, called a move by the Trump administration to conduct seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean barbaric and insane during a press conference Monday.

Seismic air guns are used to find gas and oil pockets deep beneath the ocean floor. President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order in April aimed at expanding offshore drilling near the East Coast, and, earlier this month, five companies applied to conduct seismic testing including in an area just south of Cape May.

Environmentalists, local politicians and tourism officials gathered Monday afternoon near the 30th Street beach in Avalon to signal their opposition to seismic testing and offshore drilling.

We in Cape May County have a $6.3 billion tourism business, Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton said. Now I want you to imagine an oil spill out there today, with this wind blowing on the beach.

We cant afford that, ladies and gentlemen, he added.

During seismic testing, air is blasted into the ocean floor every 10 seconds for an extended period of time. LoBiondo said he attended an air-gun demonstration last year.

The decibel level for this seismic air gun is up to 250 decibels. LoBiondo said. That would blow a human ear out.

Industry groups say seismic surveys have been conducted in the United States and around the world for decades, with little adverse impacts. The National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS, the agency seeking the seismic testing permits, has said that air-gun operations would include measures to monitor and mitigate any harm to marine mammals.

Environmental groups say the testing would hurt fish and other marine life, and LoBiondo also suggested it would harm South Jerseys fishing industry.

Theyre really defenseless against that noise, said Cindy Zipf, executive director of the North Jersey-based group Clean Ocean Action. It would be like a war zone for marine life.

The oil and gas industry has pushed for the seismic testing plan, which would map potential drilling sites from Delaware to central Florida. No surveys have been conducted in the region for at least 30 years.

Those at Mondays event also railed against what they said they believe is the end game of the testing oil and gas drilling off the East Coast. Spills and accidents are unpredictable and would threaten the Jersey Shores economy, several officials warned.

We have enough natural disasters we have to worry about being in emergency management that we dont need to worry about man-made disasters, said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi, who also heads Cape May Countys Office of Emergency Management.

If we foul whats out there, we cant flip a switch and fix it, LoBiondo said, gesturing toward the water.

LoBiondo has recently introduced a pair of bills to combat the administrations plan one that would ban permits for seismic activity in the Atlantic Ocean and another that would place a 10-year moratorium on offshore drilling in the body of water.

He said Monday that its still early in the process for both pieces of legislation. The seismic testing bill has gained 23 cosponsors, Lobiondo added.

The NMFS is accepting public comments on the proposed surveys through July 7.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read more:

LoBiondo, local officials blast Trump's offshore drilling proposal ... - Press of Atlantic City

VIRGINIA BEACH

The City Council is set to take a major step tonight to oppose offshore oil and gas exploration after years of swaying on the issue.

This new position would come seven years after the council had voted to support drilling off Virginia Beachs shores. In 2015, the council took a neutral stance.

Now members are set to change course again under pressure from the tourism industry, hotel association and civic and environmental groups.

Eight of the City Councils 11 members said they will vote tonight to oppose offshore oil and gas drilling as well as seismic testing. The new position would be a recommendation to President Donald Trump, who will make the final decision on offshore drilling.

In April, Trump ordered that the Obama-era ban on offshore drilling in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans be reviewed.

Mayor Will Sessoms said he plans to stand against offshore drilling to protect the beaches and tourism industry.

I dont think I have ever changed my mind on issues very easily, but I did on this, he said.

Councilman Bobby Dyer said he doesnt want drilling to become a reason for the Navy to consider leaving Hampton Roads, though he acknowledged that the service has not asked the council to take a position on the issue or threatened to leave.

We need to make sure we dont jeopardize our relation with the Navy or adversely affect their operations, Dyer said.

Councilman John Uhrin had supported offshore drilling to create jobs. He said he changed his mind after listening to the community and seeing how a major oil spill like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico could hurt the economy.

It turns out we are really one of the only coastal cities in the mid-Atlantic that doesnt have an opinion on this topic, Uhrin said. I felt it was time.

Zach Jarjoura, the Sierra Clubs Hampton Roads conservation program manager, said his group plans to ask other city councils in the next few months to consider adopting anti-drilling resolutions. He said the push likely will start in Norfolk.

The oil moves. If theres a spill, who knows where it will go? Jarjoura said. It has the potential to impact every city in Hampton Roads.

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Virginia Beach City Council will oppose offshore oil and gas ... - Virginian-Pilot

Photo: Charles Rex Arbogast, Associated Press

The days when Cuban outfielder Luis Robert (left), shown with White Sox general manager Rick Hahn last month, gets a $26 million signing bonus may have passed.

The days when Cuban outfielder Luis Robert (left), shown with White Sox general manager Rick Hahn last month, gets a $26 million signing bonus may have passed.

New MLB contract will derail offshore signees gravy train

NEW YORK A record $203 million was spent on international amateur free agents in the just-ended signing period, nearly $50 million more than the previous high and a figure that will plummet when a hard cap on spending starts July 2.

Four Cubans were given contracts that included signing bonuses above $5 million. White Sox outfielder Luis Robert led the way at $26 million, followed by Padres left-hander Adrian Morejon ($11 million) and Reds shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez and Padres outfielder Jorge Ona ($7 million each).

Baseballs new labor contract imposes a cap on bonuses for international amateurs, with 16 teams limited in 2017-18 to $4.75 million, six to $5.25 million and eight to $5.75 million all not counting bonuses of up to $10,000.

The partys over for all big signing bonuses for international amateurs. Its no doubt, agent Andy Mota said Monday. Its a reality thats setting in, especially with Cuban players.

And under the new rules, international amateurs were redefined as under 25 years old and with less than six years of professional experience, up from 23 years old and less than five years of experience. That means less money will be chasing more players.

Thats going to really drive a lot of these players to Japanese and Korean baseball, agent Scott Boras predicted.

Restraints were introduced in the 2012-16 labor contract on spending on draft picks, players who reside in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Bonuses for those players totaled $234 million in 2011, dropped to $223 million in the first year of the new rules and didnt reach their prior level until 2015s $249 million, according to Major League Baseball. Draft spending rose to $269 million for 2016 selections.

At the same time, spending on international amateurs increased from $74 million in 2012-13 to $156 million in 2015-16 before the latest hike. And that was despite a tax on teams who exceeded their assigned bonus pools.

The Padres spent $40.8 million on international amateurs in the period that ended June 15, incurring a $37.4 million tax. Other high rollers included the White Sox ($29 million in bonuses, $25.2 million in tax), Reds ($17.7 million/$12.4 million), Braves ($17.3 million/$12.8 million), Astros ($10.8 million/$8.6 million), Cardinals ($11 million/$9 million), the As ($10 million/$6.2 million), and Nationals ($8.3 million/$6 million).

Robert agreed to the second-highest bonus for an international amateur, behind only the $31.5 million deal in 2015 between Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada and Boston, which sent him to the White Sox in December as part of the trade that sent pitcher Chris Sale to the Red Sox.

Some American players were angry that international bonuses soared as their own were limited. Many Venezuelan and Cuban prospects sign around the time they turn 16. Cubans generally sign at an older age.

I think the goal was to treat international players more comparable to domestic players with respect to the signing bonuses they receive upon signing their first contract, said Dan Halem, MLBs chief legal officer.

Each team receives a $4.75 million spending pool in the 2017-18 international signing period that starts July 2, and the 14 teams with competitive-balance round draft picks also get extra international cap room.

For 2017-18, the As, Reds, Marlins, Brewers, Twins and Rays get an additional $500,000 each, and the Diamondbacks, Orioles, Indians, Rockies, Astros, Royals, Pirates and Padres $1 million apiece.

Clubs also can trade their cap allocation in increments of $250,000 (and the portion of $250,000 left at the end) starting July 2, but a team can acquire no more than 75 percent of what it was originally assigned.

Some teams have incentive to trade their cap space because of penalties lingering from the old rules. The Braves, Reds, Astros, the As, Cardinals, Padres and Nationals are prohibited from signing international amateurs for bonuses of more than $300,000 in the next two signing periods, and the Cubs, Royals, Dodgers and Giants are not allowed to in 2017-18.

Ronald Blum is an Associated Press writer

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New MLB contract will derail offshore signees' gravy train - SFGate

Seismic searches for offshore oil and gas are back in play

By Coastal Review Online on June 19, 2017

A ship tows an airgun array. (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)

Seismic testing in search of oil and gas resources off the North Carolina coast is once again on the table.

Last week, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed to issue five permits that would allow the oil and gas industry to conduct seismic surveys for oil and natural gas off the East Coast from the New Jersey/Delaware border to central Florida.

The action follows President Trumps executive order of April 28 reversing the Obama administrations mandate to permanently protect large portions of the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean from offshore drilling.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signed an order May 10 that rescinded the denial in January of permit applications from six seismic testing companies aiming to conduct surveys in the Mid- and South-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. The companies had applied to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for the permists to conduct geological and geophysical, or G&G, activities off the East Coast.

That decision underestimated the benefits of obtaining updated G&G information and ignored the conclusions of BOEMs Atlantic G&G Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision, which showed that no significant impacts are expected to occur as a result of these seismic surveys, an Interior Department statement said.

Former BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper, however, in denying the applications expressed concerns about the potential harmful effects of seismic testing on marine mammals.

Seismic testing uses air guns towed behind ships to send sonic waves that penetrate the ocean floor. How those waves are reflected from the bottom gives hints to the location and extent of oil or natural gas deposits below the surface.

Seismic operations are controversial because the use of soundmay disturb the normal behavioral patterns of marine mammals.

As far as the impact goes, the chances of an animal being outright killed by seismic air gun arrays are slim, said Doug Nowacek, a professor at the Duke Marine Lab and one of the worlds leading experts on marine mammals. The effects that we worry about mostly is producing sound in their environment and thats the sensory mode they use.

Seismic air gun blasts create background noise, making it harder for marine mammals to hear each other, their young and predators. It might also cause physiological distress, altering the animals migration patterns, feeding and even reproduction.

The Atlantic Ocean hosts about 30 kinds of mammals. They include humpback and North Atlantic right whales and dolphins. Sea turtles could also be affected by airguns.

Seismic testing companies mainatai that mitigation measures are in place to reduce the effects on marine mammals.

The Trump administration has directed BOEM to develop a new five-year program for offshore oil and gas exploration, though it is unclear how long the permitting review process may take.

Under the executive order from the president, he did ask that we streamline the process or find ways to streamline, said Connie Gillette, BOEMs chief of public affairs. I think its not unreasonable to say that it could be a year or two years. Theres multiple things that have to happen. It just takes a while.

Before applications get the all-clear they must be approved by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.NOAAs National Marine Fisheries Service reviews proposed seismic activities for incidental takes the inadvertent harming, killing, disturbance of wildlife expected during such testing.

Permits and authorizations for the take of a protected species are required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, the future of which is uncertain under the current administration.

Incidental harassment authorizations, or IHAs, will be released, and the public will have 30 days to comment.

IHAs typically contain a variety of mitigation measures.

Some of those hopefully should be time-area closures, including Cape Hatteras, Nowacek said.

He describes this area where, in a typical day, you can expect to see four to five different species of whales, various sea turtle species and hammerhead sharks, as the marine equivalent of the Serengeti.

Environmental groups, including Oceana, which has been a leader in campaigning against seismic testing, have begun again to rally in opposition to prospective seismic testing in the Atlantic.

A representative with the American Petroleum Institute did not respond to a request for comment.

International Association of Geophysical Contractors President Nikki Martin lauded the Trump administrations decision to reopen permit application reviews.

Offshore seismic surveys have a long history of providing an accurate assessment of our nations oil and natural gas resources in an environmentally safe manner, critical to informing an effective national energy strategy and future OCS leasing decisions and plans, Martin stated.

The IAGC represents more than 125 G&G companies.

The industry defends offshore energy exploration methods, saying theres no scientific evidence that links the sound from air gun blasts to the deaths of whales and other marine life.

Industry officials argue that existing G&G survey data, collected more than 30 years ago, is outdated.

In her directive to deny seismic testing permit applications, Hopper wrote that there are currently moves to develop quieting technology for seismic surveys. BOEM in 2014 hosted a workshop that including government, industry, environmental groups and researchers to gain a better understanding of these emerging technologies.

The most promising alternative to airguns appears to be marine vibroseis technology, Hopper wrote.

Vibroseis reduces the loud shot of air gun surveying by spreading the energy used to create the sound over a longer duration.

The economic feasibility of this technology remains to be proven and the potential environmental impacts tested, Hopper wrote. There is no silver bullet. However, by engaging industry and the regulators, I expect technologies will be developed that can produce data that is commensurate to that being produced by currently available airgun seismic survey techniques, but with much less environmental impact.

Such technology should absolutely be part of the equation, Nowacek said. I think it would be irresponsible for BOEM and NMFS to not evaluate the new technology like vibroseis. What people need to understand is that its not just a one-time thing. They go out there and, if they find some areas that look promising, theyre going to want to shoot seismic every three to five years.

The G&G companies that have applied to conduct seismic testing in the Atlantic would be overlapping the same test areas, particularly off the coast of Cape Hatteras, he said.

Why dont we just have one survey and then everyone buys the data as they need it? Nowacek asked. That is what we mean by wise use of resources while mitigating the impacts to the environment.

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Seismic searches for offshore oil and gas are back in play - The Outer Banks Voice

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

As new offshore wind farms are built off the Northeast coast, a new report suggests that the current models of wind turbines may not withstand the most powerful of hurricanes. The study, by the University of Colorado Boulder, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the U.S. Department of Energy, is intended to help the budding offshore wind industry as it expands into hurricane-prone regions, such as the East Coast.

We wanted to understand the worst-case scenario for offshore wind turbines, and for hurricanes, thats a Category 5, said Rochelle Worsnop, lead author and a graduate researcher in the University of Colorado's Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC).

Current design standards require offshore wind turbines be built to withstand 112-mph winds. Using computer-generated simulations, researchers found that portions of Category 5 hurricanes can reach up to 200 mph. Turbine blades also can be stressed by sudden and powerful shifts in wind direction, called veer.

Offshore wind turbines are typically larger than land-based turbines because components can be shipped over water instead of along size-restrictive railways and roads. The structures are therefore exposed to greater harm over their 20- to 30-year life, according to the report.

Success could mean either building turbines that can survive these extreme conditions, or by understanding the overall risk so that risks can be mitigated, perhaps with financial instruments like insurance, said Julie Lundquist, a co-author of the study and a professor at ATOC and the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute.

A subsequent study by the same group will look at the long-term effects of hurricanes on offshore wind farms built off the Atlantic Coast.

Rhode Island holds the honor of building the countrys first offshore wind farm, with the completion of the Block Island Wind Farm last November. The developer of the five-turbine, 30-megawatt wind farm, Providence-based Deepwater Wind, says the University of Colorado study is more relevant to the Southeast, where hurricane are more common and more powerful.

Current offshore wind turbine designs are suitable for the wind conditions expected in the Northeast, where the strongest hurricane to make landfall in recorded history was a Category 3," Deepwater Wind spokeswoman Meaghan Wims said.

The most recent Category 3 hurricane to make landfall in New England was Hurricane Carol in 1954. The storm had a sustained wind of 110 mph.

Deepwater Wind designs its turbines to withstand a 100-year storm, which has top wind speeds of 134 mph.

In the coming the decades, the company is planning to erect wind farms in the waters between Maryland and Maine.

We dont expect offshore wind energy to be deployed in the Southeast in the near term for other reasons namely, a lower offshore wind resource than the Northeast, Wims said.

Deepwater Wind and other developers have proposed multiple projects off of the wind-rich Northeast coast. Deepwater Wind is advancing a 15-turbine project, called South Fork Wind Farm, off eastern Long Island. Its Deepwater ONE project is slated for thousands of acres of federal waters between Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Vineyard Wind and DONG Energy, both based in Denmark, are also planning projects in the region. Bay State Wind, owned by DONG and Eversource Energy, intends to build several wind farms in the region.

But its only a matter of time before these wind turbines are tested by hurricanes. A reportby the Union of Concerned Scientists says climate change, and warming oceans in particular, are making coastal storms more intense. Since the 1970s, the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled. Category 5 hurricanes have winds exceeding 157 mph; Category 4 winds blow between 130 and 156 mph; Category 3 winds are between 111 and 129 mph.

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Offshore Wind Faces Stiff Test From Hurricanes - ecoRI news

MOSCOW, June 18 (Reuters) - Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft said on Sunday it had found its first oilfield in the Laptev Sea in the eastern Arctic, making a breakthrough in the search for hydrocarbons in the harsh and far-flung region despite Western sanctions.

Rosneft and its partners plan to invest 480 billion roubles ($8.4 billion) in developing Russia's offshore energy industry in the next five years, part of a drive to boost output from new areas.

The company has sought tie-ups with several global oil players to develop Russia's offshore regions. But a deal to work in the Kara Sea in the western Arctic with U.S. company Exxon Mobil was suspended in 2014 after the imposition of Western sanctions against Moscow.

"The result of the drilling at the Khatanga license block allows Rosneft to be considered the discoverer of (oil) fields in offshore Eastern Arctic," the company said in a statement.

Most Russian oil output comes from western Siberia, where fields are depleting, pushing producers to look for new regions. Sanctions complicate the process, barring Western companies from helping with Arctic offshore, deepwater and shale oil projects.

The Arctic offshore area is expected to account for between 20 and 30 percent of Russian production, one of the world's largest, by 2050.

Rosneft owns 28 blocks in the Arctic offshore area with combined estimated resources of 34 billion tonnes of oil equivalent.

There is only one offshore platform in the Russian Arctic, Prirazlomnoye, operated by Gazprom Neft, which plans to produce 2.6 million tonnes (52,000 barrels per day) this year.

Analysts say oil production in the region - apart from Prirazlomnoye - is years away and may start only in the mid-2020s

Rosneft has been working in the Laptev Sea since 2014. It values the hydrocarbon resources of the sea at around 9.5 billion tonnes of oil equivalent. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Mark Potter)

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Russia's Rosneft Finds Offshore Oilfield in Eastern Arctic - Fortune

The EU commissions proposals include member states regularly sharing information. Photograph: Franois Lenoir/Reuters

Banks, accountants and law firms that facilitate offshore tax schemes face a Europe-wide crackdown, according to a leak of draft legislation.

Brussels will publish proposals this Wednesday to force financial intermediaries to automatically disclose any new cross-border tax schemes offered to clients. Those designing and promoting aggressive avoidance structures will have five working days to file details with their local tax authority, according to a leaked version of the proposals, drawn up by the European commission.

The clock will begin ticking as soon as the scheme has become available to a client. Where there are several intermediaries in the chain, one will be made to take responsibility for disclosure. And where all intermediaries in the chain are based outside European member states, the obligation to disclose will fall to the client.

The ultimate objective, according to the commission, is to design a mechanism that will dissuade intermediaries from designing and marketing such arrangements.

The new rules will come into force in 2019 and are aimed at cross-border schemes that involve more than one country, so long as one of the jurisdictions involved is within Europe.

Since 2004, UK statute books have had legislation forcing those who market tax schemes to report them to Revenue & Customs. Portugal and Ireland have similar rules. However, the commissions proposals would further tighten the screw on British-based intermediaries.

This is because all European member states will be obliged to share with each other, every three months, details of the tax schemes disclosed. A central directory of avoidance schemes will be created, to which all member states will have access.

It is possible the regulations will never be adopted by the UK. However, if Britain negotiates to remain part of the single market, it would be subject to the same tax and financial regulation as full members of the union.

Research shows that globally, the majority of intermediaries are based in Hong Kong, the UK and the United States. A study of the ICIJ Offshore Leaks database, which contains data from the Panama Papers and previous leaks, identified 140 intermediaries linked to offshore entities. Nearly 90% of them have an office, a subsidiary or an affiliate in Europe.

The most active facilitators were the Swiss banks UBS and Credit Suisse, which were linked to 24,500 offshore entities between them, according to the report, which was commissioned by the Green and European Free Alliance groups in the European parliament.

Trident Corporate Services, which has offices in Londons Portland Place and was linked to 8,500 offshore entities, is the third largest and the first in a string of middlemen whose names are largely unknown outside the world of offshore companies.

If we go for a softer Brexit, as now seems more likely, these rules would apply in the UK, said a Green MEP for south-west England and Gibraltar, Molly Scott Cato. We call on member states to adopt the proposal as soon as possible and to scale up resources in their tax administrations.

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European commission to crack down on offshore tax avoidance - The Guardian

Dan Radel, @DanielRadelAPP 12:25 p.m. ET June 18, 2017

Terry Bernard was one of about 75 people attending a January Hands Across the Sand event in Cocoa Beach.(Photo: MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY)

The new oil rush in the Atlantic has officially begun.

With an executive order, President Trump in April rolled back a ban on oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic Ocean.

Now, energy companies are in a race to figure out whats under the oceans floor.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Monday it is considering five permits that are essential to allowing the industry to conduct seismic tests in the Atlantic Ocean.

Environmentalists opposing the presidents action worry about another Deepwater Horizon a calamity in which 11 offshore oil rig crew members were killed and 4 million barrels of crude spewed into the Gulf of Mexico.

After all, a half-million Shore jobs are supported by tourism and another 50,000 by fishing. Those two industries, which would be devastated by an environmental disaster at sea, account for about one in every eight employed people statewide.

But ocean advocates have another concern ahead of any drilling the possible harm to marine life caused by seismic surveying.

The equipment used to find subterranean oil reserves requires repeated discharges of piercing sound, which can confuse sea creatures and damage their hearing.

I think it has an effect on the communication between juvenile marine animals and their mothers, said Bob Schoelkopf, executive director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine. The interference could separate a whale from its calf, which depends on the mother for nursing purposes.

Fishermen worry

Commercial fishermen say seismic testing could disrupt their livelihood.

They need to find a better way to test for oil reserves other than seismic testing, said Captain Jim Lovgren, who sits on the board of directors of the Fishermens Dock Cooperative in Point Pleasant Beach. The loud decibels of sound created by it absolutely scatter our fish population.

Meanwhile, the oil industry, some researchers and government regulators all say the mapping can be done responsibly by following carefully considered rules to protect marine mammals and fish populations.

We do have concerns about how these types of activities may hurt marine mammals but also we believe that we put measures in effect that will allow us to offset them, said Jolie Harrison, chief of the Permits and Conservation Division in the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources.

Whats happening?

The applicants all companies that provide geophysical data to the oil and gas industry are seeking access to a survey area that stretches from the Delaware Bay south to Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Seismic surveying, sometimes called seismic testing, is a method of using sound and science to create a picture of whats below the surface of the seabed.

Oil and gas exploration requires this kind of intelligence in order to know where to drill.

Before youre going to do anything else youre going to need the results of those seismic surveys, said Marty Durbin, executive vice president and chief strategy officer of the American Petroleum Institute, during a conference call last week.

The problem

During seismic testing, there is the potential for injury to marine mammals or the disruption of their behavioral patterns caused by the testing, which is performed with an instrument called an airgun, said the NOAAs Harrison.

This is referred to as a take.

A take would include a mortality, which we certainly do not anticipate here at all, she said. It includes an injury. When we think of injury from the impact of sound we typically think of hearing impairment, which there is a small potential for here.

Airguns are towed in an array behind a ship and fire off a pulse of sound toward the sea floor at regular intervals. Different frequencies penetrate deeper and deeper and then the echoes bounce back to sensors that surround the airguns.

The speed by which the different frequencies return creates a comprehensive image of whats below the surface.

To achieve this, the volume of the airgun can be loud, sometimes the equivalent of a jet taking off from 1,000 feet away.

To safeguard marine mammals, independent observers are positioned on the deck of every ship performing seismic tests. A device is also used to monitor animals below the surface of the water.

If a protected animal, such as a whale, is detected within 5 kilometers of the ship, testing is stopped until they are out of range for at least 30 minutes.

Just a couple years ago, Rutgers Professor Greg Mountain found himself in the middle of a firestorm over seismic testing off the coast of New Jersey.

Mountain, a geologist who is also a researcher with Columbia Universitys vaunted Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, was trying to gather evidence on the ocean floor of rising sea levels from 30 million to 40 million years ago information that could further our understanding of climate change.

Mountain says he was under constant criticism for seismic testing from all corners environmentalists, fishermen, even Gov. Chris Christie.

He was compared to infamous Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele at one point, a charge that Mountain said almost brought me to my knees.

Mountain, who said he feels a close connection with the environment, spent months at sea performing these tests and never once have I seen a harmed animal never once. No animal floated to the surface, dazed or injured. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

The future

While seismic testing might be the battle, the war is offshore drilling.

Trumps plans for seismic testing along our coast are not only environmentally damaging on its own, but it will lead to offshore drilling that could threaten our coasts even more, said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, in a statement.

Oil spills dont need to be of the magnitude of the BP Gulf spill to be damaging.

Schoelkopf, of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, recalled the effects of a February 2004 tanker leak of a few hundred gallons of oil that slicked 60 miles along the New Jersey coastline and left globs of tar balls on the beach.

Being a coastal state just about any amount of an oil spill will have an effect on the ecosystem, Schoelkopf said. I remember answering calls after an oil barge that leaked oil. It mixed with sand and made tar balls on Brigantine beaches. They were like cement boots for the birds. They couldnt fly.

One hundred and sixty-nine birds were affected; 114 died.

In 2014, the NOAAs Office of Response and Restoration was called to 117 oil spill sites.

Because of ocean currents, a spill wouldnt need to be off the coast of New Jersey in order to effect the Shore.

If they drill off the South Carolina coast a spill might not reach New Jersey, said Captain Lovgren, who pilots a trawler called the Sea Dragon, but anything north of Cape Hatteras will get into the Gulf Stream and be carried to us.

Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@app.com; Dan Radel: 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com

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Offshore drilling would begin with a literal bang - Cherry Hill Courier Post

Executive Director Bonnie Monteleone saw the event as an opportunity for participants to learn about the effects plastics have on the ocean.

BEAUFORT -- The Wilmington-based nonprofit Plastic Ocean Project Inc. held what it hopes will become the first of many Fishing 4 Plastic events on June 3 in Beaufort.

The idea came from Executive Director Bonnie Monteleone as an opportunity for participants to learn more about the effects that plastics have on the ocean environment. It was also intended as a way to get the fishing community involved and working in partnership with Plastic Ocean Project to help preserve fish life and habitats.

The event, hosted at the N.C. Maritime Museumin Beaufort, allowed participants to form teams and venture offshore in order to collect trash, plastic and seaweed near the Gulf Stream.

The event was sponsored by the Blockade Runner Beach Resort in Wrightsville Beach, and awards were given out for various amounts of trashand types of trash collected.

We will have prizes for most plastic foundby weight and number, most unusual piece, most useful piece, and most languages found, said Jessica Horne, a UNCW graduate student who had been working on the event over the past semester.

Horne said the event was a success, with six teams -- a total of 36 to 40 people -- who ventured offshore to collect floating trash. One team accumulated about 80 pounds worth of trash, including a 60-pound wooden pallet that was floating in the ocean.

A lot balloons were found,Horne said, probably since it was graduation season. One team brought back balloons that had been in the water so long they had lost their color. That is really scary and dangerous, Horne said, because turtles mistake the floating balloons for jellyfish and try to eat them.

The cleanup competition was not the event's only draw. If folks wanted to stay on land, the event had entertainment and activities at Beaufort's Maritime Museum, including a community art project and games forkids. There was also a beach cleanup at Radio Island.

Around 200 pounds of trash were collected in the offshore and beach cleanups. And the museum saw a lot of foot traffic.

It was a beautiful day, Horne said. We also talked to locals who seemed very excited with and interested in what we were doing. Overall, it was areally successful event and we had a great day.

The hope is that this tournament will bean educational opportunity for people to learn more about the effects that plastics have on the oceans and fish habitats, Horne said. After participating in the event, we hope that people will be more conscious about using plastics or finding alternativesfor using plastics.

Monteleone hopes the event will become an annual event occurrence and expand to other areas.

The mission of the nonprofit Plastic Ocean Project is to reduce plastic pollution through outreach, art, research and education.

Our vision is to rid the oceans of plastic," said Tammy Bleier, a board member. "For this purpose, we work with and for the next generation to find sustainable solutions, because we realize the plastic pollution problem willoutlive us.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington has a Plastic Ocean Project chapter called Little POP, which offers support and volunteers.There is also a chapter in Charleston and another one starting in Raleigh.

For more information or to get involved, visit Plastic Ocean's Project website http://www.plasticoceanproject.org.

Story idea? Contact the StarNews Community News desk at Community@StarNewsOnline.com or 910-343-2364.

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Plastic Ocean Project hosts offshore cleanup competition - StarNewsOnline.com

The Sustainable Energy Advisory Board is discussing community choice aggregation today. Its a hot topic revolving around greenhouse gas emissions and whether to stay with SDG&E or create a new local government agency tasked with purchasing energy and setting utility rates. SDG&E would still deliver the electricity and send out the bills which would include charges for the city-bought energy, SDG&Es transmission services, and a fee for no longer buying energy from SDG&E.

The advisory board responsible for advising the city council and mayor on energy policy was established in 1981 as the Energy Advisory Board in response to the oil crisis sparked by the Iranian Revolution it was redubbed to its current moniker in 2003.

Current members appointed by the mayor include SDG&E special counsel, a public policy consultant, a labor organizer, a building industry professional, a Chamber of Commerce member, the CEO of a firm that advocates for clean technology, a solar industry advocate, construction industry professional, and an associate for the California Center for Sustainable Energy. This non-profit has been deep in the trenches with the city to move along a slow-going community choice feasibility study. The current chair is a former pharmaceutical executive.

On May 23, Francisco Urtasun talked to the community planners committee, a group made up of representatives from different local planning groups. Urtasun is regional vice president of Sempra Services, a new division of Sempra Energy, the parent company of SDG&E.

The back and forth was lively and a bit heated at times. The agenda item slated for 15 minutes went on for close to an hour.

Urtasun said more than once that he wasnt with SDG&E explaining that utility companies arent allowed to advocate against community choice. He said a law was passed after a firefight between Pacific Gas & Electric and Marin County when they formed a community choice aggregate in 2010. The way around this for SDG&E was to form Urtasuns new division with shareholder and not ratepayer funds in 2016. He made it clear he wasnt lobbying against community choice but instead wanted to be part of what he described has been a very one-sided conversation full of misinformation.

His main points of contention are that choice already exists with SDG&E as 130,000 residential customers have chosen to go solar and countless commercial customers have gone direct access. According to SDG&Es website, customers can opt for 100-percent renewable energy now if they choose.

His other beef was that community choice programs can muddy the waters with renewable energy portfolios that dont lead to the kind of greenhouse gas emission reductions that new renewable projects produce. He explained that community choice programs use renewable energy certificates (commodities traded on the open market) that are then laid over natural gas or coal and it counts as green.

There were eight public speakers, all in favor of community choice. Three were from advocacy groups (Climate Action Campaign, San Diego 350, Community Energy Action Network), one was a local regulatory attorney, and another was a member of the Carmel Valley planning group that said recently they voted in favor of community choice. The other three included concerned citizens from Mira Mesa, San Carlos, and a local scientist not affiliated with any community choice organization.

More than one speaker mentioned that ratepayers could opt out of community choice and return to SDG&E at anytime. Everyone would be automatically opted-in if community choice happens. A 2015 community choice assessment stated that a fee will be charged if anyone opts to return to SDG&E. There is also an exit fee that customers would pay for leaving SDG&E, possibly for decades.

The main reason mentioned for choosing community choice was the citys climate action plan goal to reach 100-percent renewable energy citywide by 2035. The main argument in favor was access to more renewable energy with the added benefit of lower rates.

The 2015 assessment ran some numbers that came up with a possible five percent savings over SDG&E rates with a similar SDG&E renewable energy portfolio. Because of the exit fee, the city wont be able to offer community choice to everyone and also keep rates competitive during the first three years.

More concrete information should be forthcoming when the feasibility study is released. According to the advisory board May meeting minutes, it should go before the board late summer.

Dr. Aaron Day spoke of his concern about the disconnect of Sempra promising to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 while currently signing 20-year contracts for new natural gas plants.

The representative from the Southeast planning group said, Ill be damned if anyones going to tell me what to do with my power. If you want me to be like a real fool and spend more money so I can get an electric car and not buy any power from him [Urtasun]. But he has his virtues, he has engineers who know what the hell theyre doing.

Clairemonts representative said friends in Marin County (the first in California to choose community choice) have seen their utility bills decrease dramatically.

The representative from Uptown said even though solar has been heavily pushed, its still only a tiny percentage of the energy produced. We talk about the horrors of natural gas. Its 60 percent of the energy in California. He said offshore wind turbines produce more energy than solar but joked, Now I know Joe over here from La Jolla, youre going to go before the La Jolla planning group and say we want the offshore wind turbines all along the beach. Well pick up the pieces of whats left of you afterwards.

He then said energy right now is akin to 1960s S&H Green Stamp trading. He said Southern California uses a lot of coal. Many people may not realize that at night in Los Angeles, the majority of the energy is from coal. If you have an electric car, you got a coal mobile.

The Scripps/Miramar representative cut to the chase when he called the whole debate completely fraudulent because neither Sempra nor community choice produces energy.

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Want offshore wind turbines off La Jolla? - San Diego Reader

NEW DELHI: While the benchmark indices remained cautious, the S&P BSE SmallCap index soared to touch its all-time high of 15760.25 with shares of Aban Offshore (up 12.22 per cent) as its top gainer in Friday's trade.

It was followed by B L Kashyap & Sons (up 9.38 per cent), Prozone Intu Properties (up 8.64 per cent), Usha Martin (up 8.38 per cent), Aptech (up 8.33 per cent), Nagarjuna Fertilizers and Chemicals (up 8.22 per cent), MPS (up 8.05 per cent), Jindal Saw (up 7.02 per cent), Indian Hume Pipe Company (up 6.45 per cent), Hindustan Oil Exploration Company (up 6.39 per cent), BASF India (up 6.24 per cent), Nutraplus India (up 5.86 per cent), Reliance Industrial InfraStructure (up 5.80 per cent), McNally Bharat Engineering Company (up 5.78 per cent) and Va Tech Wabag (up 5.53 per cent).

However, stocks such as Stampede Capital (down 19.85 per cent ), Ipca Laboratories (down 11.15 per cent ), Amtek Auto (down 10.18 per cent ), Metalyst Forgings (down 7.38 per cent ), Lanco Infratech (down 6.25 per cent ), Monnet Ispat & Energy (down 5.80 per cent ), Himachal Fibres (down 5.55 per cent ), Ricoh India (down 4.99 per cent ), Castex Technologies (down 4.97 per cent ), Videocon Industries (down 4.93 per cent ), Alok Industries (down 4.66 per cent ), Fineotex Chemical (down 3.50 per cent ), Bhushan Steel (down 3.47 per cent ), JM Financial (down 3.31 per cent ) and Dhunseri Petrochem (down 3.28 per cent ) were trading in red around the same time.

The BSE SmallCap index was trading 0.41 per cent up at 15710.14 around 12:38 pm (IST).

Among the 51 stocks in Nifty index, 26 were trading in green, while 24 were in red.

For trending stocks and buzzing news, track this LIVE BLOG from Dalal Street

Shares of JP Associates, GMR Infra, Indiabulls RE, HDFC, Idea Cellular, Reliance Comm, Suzlon Energy, HDIL, Aban Offshore, Amtek Auto, ICICI Bank, Adani Power, GVK Power Infra, Unitech and SBI were among most traded securities on the National Stock Exchange.

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Market Now: SmallCap index touched fresh high; Aban Offshore top gainer - Economic Times