Energy Central: "CBP issues ruling on offshore wind electrical cable installation" [CBP = acronym for US Customs + Border Protection]. "This decision reflects a growing body of CBP rulings that address whether a Jones Act compliant vessel is required for specific aspects of an offshore wind project." Jones Act is a blatantly protectionist + outdated law which stipulates that ships onloading in a US port + offloading in another US port must meet 'stringent US-built, US-ownership and crewing requirements that are required to receive a coastwise endorsement from the US Coast Guard.' "CBP's Headquarters Ruling H329630 (March 9, 2023) addressed whether a non-coastwise-qualified cable-lay vessel (CLV) and a non-coastwise-qualified trencher support vessel (TSV) could be used to lay and bury electrical transmission cables on the seabed of US territorial waters and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that would connect wind turbines on the OCS and offshore substations." A CLV pays out + lowers cable onto the seabed. A TSV uses a submersible tracked cable-burial jetting tool, which is used to bury the cable. Building similar ships is underway in the US, but it is imperative that we maintain momentum in building out offshore wind to meet climate goals. You don't have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. The photo is of an advanced cable laying vessel "Leonardo da Vinci"   #windenergy    #jonesact    #climatechange

A neat little freight railroad closes, because its legal loophole has been closed: https://www.thedrive.com/news/absurd-200-foot-railway-demolished-after-court-closes-shipping-loophole #JonesAct #Trains

Bill passed by Congress that further restricts Jones Act waivers could imperil Puerto Rico.

[...]

"In the example of Puerto Rico, a foreign ship that is already full of fuel and available cannot respond to an emergency situation if it has already made one stop at a U.S. port."

https://www.sanjuandailystar.com/post/bill-passed-by-congress-that-further-restricts-jones-act-waivers-could-imperil-puerto-rico

#PuertoRico #NDAA #JonesAct

Exceptions and waivers from the #JonesAct are hard to come by, and thanks to the 4,300-page 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (#NDAA), on its way right now to get the president's signature, it's about to become even harder. A section of the bill (buried down on page 1,724) adds new restrictions and even a time delay to make it more challenging for government officials to offer a waiver, even during times of crisis.

#puertoRico #USA #colony #climatecrisis

https://ground.news/article/this-military-spending-bill-will-make-puerto-ricos-next-hurricane-disaster-even-worse

Some niche (at least I think are niche) political opinions I have:
- pro #DiabloCanyon pro #nuclear if it’s decently financially viable
- anti #JonesAct
- anti tariffs on baby formula
- pro #HighSpeedRail everywhere
- automate and modernize the ports of LA and Long Beach
- international students should get to stay here after college
I’m curious to hear your niche political opinions #politics

Sweet visual story: How a 102-Year-Old Maritime Law Affects Today’s Home-Heating Prices [and Hawaii's budget] https://www.wsj.com/story/how-a-102-year-old-maritime-law-affects-todays-home-heating-prices-ab1dab04 @CostasParis in @WSJ #jonesact

Information on Puerto Rico and its government structure.

#LawFedi #PuertoRico #commonwealth #JonesAct

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2022/11/the-commonwealth-of-puerto-rico-and-its-government-structure/

Information on Puerto Rico and its government structure.

#LawFedi #PuertoRico #commonwealth #JonesAct

https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2022/11/the-commonwealth-of-puerto-rico-and-its-government-structure/

RT @David_Boaz
The Progressive Case for #JonesAct Reform https://www.cato.org/study/progressive-case-jones-act-reform?utm_source=social&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Cato%20Social%20Share #EndTheJonesAct via @CatoInstitute