STAR-ADVERTISER / 2015

Manana, or Rabbit Island, as seen from Makpuu Lookout. Pursuant to the shutdowns of public parks and beaches under the jurisdiction of the City and County of Honolulu and the state of Hawaii, the state Department of Natural Resources announced today that all of Oahus off-shore islands and islets, such as Na Mokulua (the Mokes) and Manana (Rabbit Island), as well as the popular Ahu o Laka sandbar in Kaneohe Bay, will also be closed starting at midnight tonight.

Pursuant to the shutdowns of public parks and beaches under the jurisdiction of the City and County of Honolulu and the state of Hawaii, the state Department of Natural Resources announced today that all of Oahus off-shore islands and islets, such as Na Mokulua (the Mokes) and Manana (Rabbit Island), as well as the popular Ahu o Laka sandbar in Kaneohe Bay, will also be closed starting at midnight tonight.

The landing of boats, kayaks, or any other watercraft on the islands or the sandbar will be prohibited, the announcement said, in order to discourage large gatherings and stop the surge in the spread of COVID-19 among Oahuans, in line with Thursdays emergency rules declared by Governor David Ige and Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

Crossing through a state park in order to access the ocean for aquatic exercise and activities, such as fishing or traditional Hawaiian gathering below the high-water mark is permitted, but lingering, picnicking, camping, land-based gathering and all other activities on beaches and in parks will be forbidden.

However, state forest lands will remain open, including trails in the Na Ala Hele Trails and Access Program, DLNR said.

Access through the Waahila State Recreation Area will be allowed only for transiting to the Waahila Ridge Trail, and access at the Puu Ualakaa State Wayside will only be allowed to reach the Puu Ualakaa Trail. The gates to the area and wayside will remain closed, DLNR said.

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Oahu's offshore islands and sandbars to be closed but forest trails will stay open - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Houston-based offshore vessel operator Seacor Marineon Monday took delivery of a platform supply vessel built by Chinese yard Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry on foot of a deal signed between the two companies early last year.

Seacor Atlas was initially scheduled for delivery in April this year, but the outbreak of the conronavirus pandemic had prevented Seacor executives from travelling to Coscos facilities in Zhoushan island of eastern Chinas Zhejiang province to take delivery.

The Rolls Royce UT771CDL-design vessel is of 3800 tonnes deadweight capacity, with dynamic position class 2 and firefighting class 1 notations. It can accommodate a subsequent upgrade to a battery hybrid power solution.

It the last of the three similar vessels Seacor Marine has acquired from Cosco in a deal signed in January last year. The others have been delivered last year or early this year.

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Seacor finally takes delivery of last of three offshore vessels from China's Cosco - Upstream Online

Today, much US political rhetoric is championing a green recovery to soften the devastating economic impact of the Covid pandemic. And at the forefront of this rebound should be the $30bn in capital expenditure expected to flow into the countrys offshore wind sector in the next decade.

But for developers leading the expansion of sea-based wind off the east and west coasts, lessons learned have too often neglected the loss of gross value added to overseas markets. Take the paradigm in the UK, the worlds biggest offshore wind play.

A day after the London Array project was celebrated as the largest operating offshore wind farm in the world in 2014, the British tabloids lamented that 80% of its supply chain came from overseas presumably from Scandinavian, Dutch, and German OEMs, and installation contracts for turbines, foundations, substations, export cables and balance of plant. Under mounting political pressure, UK developers reluctantly agreed to a 50% commitment for domestic content as a target going forward.

Liberal market economies like the UK have, with varying degrees, been uncomfortable with overly-politicised industrial policy. But what direction will the emerging US offshore wind industry take? And what about small and mid-sized businesses the lifeblood of the Western economies that makes up 40% of economic activity in America?

Whatever the political make-up of the White House come January next year, US presidents and Congress of either hue will doubtless favour a made in America approach. President Donald Trump has chanted this mantra for the past four years, and its largely the massive domestic supply chain that has kept US onshore wind out of his more damaging political rhetoric and ambition.

But offshore wind is a new experience for the US with only 42MW installed off the eastern seaboard but as much as 30GW forecast to be set turning in the next ten years. And while the pilot projects have unavoidably had to lean on some overseas expertise, the pressure is on to make US offshore a wholly native success story.

In a perfect world, $30bn of capital expenditure for development, and a corresponding similar sum for operational expenditure over asset lifetimes, would see direct economic benefits for each states rate payers. Or at least, within the ISO.

But formalising an industrial policy that pushes the full economic advantages down the supply chain for employment gain is often elusive at the national level, never mind at a state jurisdiction.

Still the problem must be wrestled with, as creating regional clusters for supply chain, especially growth opportunities for small business entrepreneurs, could be a non-partisan slam dunk for the industry. This is an opportunity for private, boutique, and employee-owned businesses to support domestic energy policy in the widest sense and one that will ensure gross value added remains stateside, from environmental impact assessments to advisory services such as project financing, legal and insurance.

It is perhaps this latter raft of services and advisory work where fostering a new domestic supply chain may make the quickest wins. As knowledge and experience builds in any industry, the nature of service provision fragments, as entrepreneurs and small teams look at specific niches to create more tailored offerings that capture market share.

And, if anything, its a trend likely to be enhanced by the changing make-up of global economies post-Covid.

In offshore wind, there is a very real chance of success for this shift simply because the bottom line stays the same. Project owners value highly skilled and experienced professionals. They want people based in the US, in their time zone, that feel like an extension of their own project team and crave direct access to a sophisticated level of insight to anticipate and prepare for the challenges they may encounter, particularly with the legislative and physical nuances of building billion-dollar offshore wind farms in the US compared to Europe.

The emergence of the boutique, employee-owned specialist provides a healthy alternative to the big public companies. These dominant, sizeable firms often have an entirely different service team from supporting a development project to taking it through the construction cycle to reach final testing and commissioning making these large incumbents historically more prone to the relationship politicking that plagues trust issues between joint venture partners, large contractors, and dealing with lenders.

The pandemic is a watershed moment. It has forced all of us to reflect on the status quo and how business models can adapt to allow for greater flexibility, without compromising quality. Pivoting to renewable energy is almost a given. But capitalising on the real, more bespoke small business opportunities this shift in focus offers could be instrumental to the political future of the industry.

Jatin Sharma is managing partner of a soon-to-be-named boutique infrastructure risk consulting and (re)insurance broker specialising in offshore wind projects

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'Creating regional US offshore wind supply chain clusters could be a non-partisan slam dunk' | Recharge - Recharge

By Coreen van der Merwe, director at Sovereign Trust (SA) Limited

Unpacking the enigma around offshore starts with one simple certainty; nothing in the South African Income Tax or Reserve Bank regulations prohibits South Africans from opening a bank account, investment account or setting up an offshore trust.

Many South Africans are feeling very uncertain about going offshore with their money, and understandably so. The spread of Covid-19, the economic forecast for South Africa (and also the rest of the world) and the Rands weakening value is enough to make any South African jittery and anxious about investing; not just locally, but also abroad. However, exposure to international assets is essential for the following reasons: it provides protection against the depreciation of the Rand, it helps to diversify investments and it allows access to a greater range of opportunities to invest in.

With all the complexity around moving wealth offshore, the real brainteaser for most is how to do it as quickly and cost effectively as possible and at what stage do I need to consider setting up an offshore trust.

We are finding that many South Africans have international transactional needs for both business and personal reasons, yet some are only aware of one-dimensional foreign currency accounts, often referred to as CFC accounts. This type of account allows the account holder to manage foreign receipts and payments through their local bank, but it is all subject to Exchange Control regulations.

In comparison, the multiple benefits of having an offshore bank account enable South African accountholders to conveniently receive payment for work done outside of the country, make international payments and to access international funds by way of a debit or credit card. Most importantly, the general rule is that if the income was earned abroad while the South African resident was physically outside of the country, the income can be retained offshore. From here the funds can be transferred to a variety of different investment accounts also based offshore.

While there may not be any tax liability in the jurisdiction where the account is being held, accountholders will usually still be taxable in South Africa for any interest or capital gains that is earned on the account.The tax you may be required to pay depends heavily on the way you choose to invest and the type of investment account.Generally, the interest or gains realised need to be included in your taxable income for the year even though these are earned offshore because we are taxed on our worldwide income in South Africa.

Offshore bank or investment account(s) also need to be declared. The tax authorities in jurisdictions where the accounts are held, may have signed up for Common Reporting Standards (CRS). The account details, balances and interest earned will automatically be shared with South African tax authorities and therefore, the account is not confidential by any means.

Although your details may not be confidential, your money will remain outside of South Africa. In terms of de-risking wealth, it is a completely legal and acceptable solution to escape the volatility of the rand and to diversify your investments.

When exploring the benefits of opening an offshore account, the key is to choose your preferred offshore banking institution by taking into consideration the minimum balance requirements, transactional fees, reputation and jurisdiction. Some banks require face-to-face meetings with the account holder while others are comfortable to work through a licenced service provider like Sovereign Trust, in which case, a face to face meeting might not be required.

Offshore investment companies usually do not require a face to face interview, but an introduction by a regulated financial advisor might be required before an account can be opened with their company. Annual platform and trading fees should also be considered.

At what point should you consider setting up a trust to house the funds in your offshore bank or investment account and why?

We will start with answering the why. If your intention is to achieve any or a combination of the goals listed below, setting up a trust and investing in the trusts name, becomes an option:

To ensure that setting up an offshore trust is a feasible exercise, you need to consider the annual trustee fees (which will depend on the jurisdiction, the type of trust and also the activity levels of the trust), the amount available to invest as well as the possible returns that can be achieved. As an absolute minimum requirement, the return should cover the annual trustee and other annual costs associated with the trust and investment.

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Offshore Bank, Investment And Trust Accounts Are These Still Allowed? - Africa.com

DJ Mattaar / Shutterstock

Scorpio Bulkers has announced plans to construct an offshore wind turbine installation vessel as the company looks to renewables for growth opportunities.

The NYSE-listed dry bulk shipping company announced Monday it has signed a Letter of Intent for the construction of the vessel with South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) with options for additional vessels.

The Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (WTIV) will be designed by GustoMSC design and includes a 1,500-tonne Leg Encircling Crane (LEC) from Huisman Equipment.

The total project cost is expected to be approximately $265 to $290 million, subject to final design modifications, Scorpio said.The contract is expected to be signed in early Q4 2020 and will include options to construct up to an additional three vessels having similar specifications.

Scorpio Bulkers is embarking on a new and exciting journey. The world urgently needs to reduce emissions and offshore wind will make a pivotal contribution, said Emanuele A. Lauro, Scorpio Bulkers Chairman and CEO.

Incorporated in the Marshall Islands, Scorpio Bulkers (NYSE: SALT) was launched in March 2013 by the same management team as Scorpio Tankers (NYSE: STNG). The company owns and operates a fleet of approximately 55 mid- to large-size dry bulk vessels, specifically Ultramax and Kamsarmax vessels (62,000 and 82,000 deadweight tonnes, respectively).

Lauro said the new strategic direction in offshore wind will result in higher and more predictable shareholder returns in a structural growth market.

According to the company, the offshore wind sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 15 percent over the next decade, with a growing shortage of vessels that can install and maintain the next-generation turbines.

Our transition has begun, said Lauro.

Scorpio has a history of executing complex maritime projects and of building teams and expertise to enter new markets. We are fully committed to this new direction as an area of significant value creation for our shareholders and alignment with our multiple stakeholders, he added.

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Dry Bulk Shipping Company Scorpio Bulkers Debuts Offshore Wind Transition - gcaptain.com

Two stranded men from Chicago repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Todd Sumbera after he rescued them from rough water near Drummond Island Friday afternoon.

Sumbera was conducting marine patrol offshore in Chippewa County, north of Drummond Island, west of Harbor Island, at approximately 1:43 p.m. when he saw two people in the water clinging to an overturned personal watercraft.

As Sumbera approached, he identified himself as a conservation officer there to help. The younger of the two, a 41-year-old man who didn't know how to swim, was panicked and exhausted, saying, "Thank God." Both men were improperly wearing torn life jackets and had been in the water for about 10 minutes.

"Im happy that Sumbera safely returned the men to shore in what could have been a much worse situation had the men not been wearing life jackets," said Chief Gary Hagler, DNR Law Enforcement Division. "This is an example of how wearing a life jacket can save a life."

After Sumbera helped the men onto his patrol vessel, he determined both to be in stable condition.

The older man, 64, told Sumbera that they had never operated a personal watercraft before and the high winds and rough water "swamped them extremely fast" when they put the watercraft in reverse.

Sumbera towed the waterlogged watercraft back to the Drummond Island Yacht Haven and returned the two men to shore. He advised the men to obtain and use properly fitting, well-maintained life jackets before their next adventure.

There have been several drownings and near-drownings in Michigan this summer. If your plans include time on the water, please refer to the DNR website for important tips on boating and Great Lakes beach safety.

Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned state peace officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and protect residents by providing general law enforcement duties and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.

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Conservation officer rescues two men stranded offshore of Drummond Island - Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

In the early morning hours of April 18th,1906, an alarming shake and rumble underfoot along the coastal areas of northern California gave way to a living nightmare of unprecedented devastation. At 5:12am, what would be considered one of the most devastating earthquake events in U.S. history wreaked unimaginable havoc on the burgeoning city of San Francisco.

This photograph, taken by George Lawrence from a series of kites five weeks after the great earthquake of April 18, 1906, shows the devastation brought on the city of San Francisco by the quake and subsequent fire. The view is looking over Nob Hill toward business district, South of the Slot, and the distant Mission. The Fairmont Hotel, far left. dwarfs the Call Building. (photo courtesy of Harry Myers).

(Credit: George Lawrence. Public domain.)

This California earthquake ranks as one of the most well-known and impactful of all time. Today, its importance stems not only from the sheer magnitude of the quake (7.7-7.9), but also from the wealth of scientific knowledge derived from studying the event. Rupturing the northernmost 477 kilometers (296 miles) of the San Andreas fault from northwest of San Juan Bautista to the triple junction at Cape Mendocino, the earthquake confounded geologists with its large, horizontal movement and the massive length of the fault rupture.

Enechalon fractures from The Great 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

(Public domain.)

The full scope of the fault and how much it had shifted would not be fully appreciated until the advent of plate tectonics more than half a century later; in fact, study of this 1906 event ushered in the dawn of a seismic scientific revolution and the creation of a preeminent report on such events, the Lawson Report of 1908.

In early 2019, Samuel Johnson of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Jeffrey Beeson of Fugro USA Marine Inc., for the first time mapped a 35-kilometer-long offshore section of the fault between Tomales Point and Fort Ross, California.

Staff image of Dr. Samuel Johnson, retired from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

(Photo courtesy of Dr. Samuel Johnson)

Using high-resolution surface and subsurface mapping data collected with high-tech acoustic instruments, Johnson and Beeson created highly detailed maps of the area, which resulted in some significant new findings: (1) two large zones (each ~ 5 km2) of sediment failure on the sloping seafloor offshore of the Russian River, lobes that appear to have formed when the intense shaking from the 1906 earthquake resulted in sand liquefaction, were documented; (2) the strike of the fault on both a local and regional scale was found to impact both the offshore and the adjacent onshore landscapes, including basins, uplifted marine terraces, beaches, and coastal sand dunes; and (3) two active strands of the fault were mapped within the northern part of Bodega Bay, each of which has moved tens of meters within the past 10,000 years, which is an incredibly far distance in terms of geologic movement.

The Seismological Society of America (SSA) published this new report in April of 2019. In SSAs press release of the report, Dr. Johnson offered his perspective on the project: Its a major geoscience oversight that these northern areas have not been studied before, said Johnson. But we have been waiting for the technology to advance, allowing us to look at these areas in high resolution.

Shadedrelief image of the region between RR and Tomales Bay (TB). Labels near black arrows show rates (mm/yr) of marine terrace uplift in RR and Bodega isthmus (BI) areas. Yellow arrows show direction of littoral drift in the RR and Bodega Bay (BB) littoral cells. The two littoral cells terminate in large coastal sand dune fields (yellow shading) at the Bodega isthmus and Dillon Beach (DB). Gray area shows highresolution bathymetry in Californias State Waters. B, Bodega Harbor; BB, Bodega Bay; BH, Bodega Head; D, Duncans Point; EA, Estero Americano; SC, Salmon Creek; SCB, South Salmon Creek beach; TP, Tomales Point.

(Image courtesy of Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 2019;109(3):833-854. doi:10.1785/0120180158)

For the offshore work, geologists use acoustic mapping tools deployed from a slow-moving boat on a tight grid for complete water depth and seafloor mapping coverage. Comparable topographic mapping data on land are collected from an airplane using LIDAR (a pulsed laser instrument), producing data that allow geologists to examine and analyze a fault zone. However, it is virtually impossible to collect on-land subsurface acoustic data that is comparable to offshore data quality and density. Fault mapping in the oceans thus produces different but highly complementary data compared with on-land fault mapping.

Shaded relief image showing location of shoreline (purple line at outer edge of yellow shaded area) at 30m lower than present. Sea level was lower than 30m for about 85% of the last 100,000yr, during which time the TomalesBodega valley (in orange) was an 50kmlong and 12kmwide subaerial valley, separated from the Pacific Ocean by Point Reyes (PR) and the continuous, narrow TomalesBodega ridge between Bodega head (B) and Tomales Point (T). Blue lines show some drainages including RR; red dashed line shows NSAF northwest and southeast of the TomalesBodega Valley. Dark gray shows available highresolution bathymetry.

(Image courtesy of Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 2019;109(3):833-854. doi:10.1785/0120180158)

As the technology to chart underwater faults progressed, mapping this poorly known section of the northern San Andreas Fault became possible. The maps revealed signs of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which may hold clues as to how the fault might rupture again in the future.

Normally if you were studying a fault zone on land and found a prominent fault strand, you would probably assume that was the strand that has most recently ruptured, Dr. Johnson explained in April of 2019. Because we found two strands here, its a cautionary tale for earthquake geologists to comprehensively map fault zones. You may only capture part of the earthquake history or slip rate along a fault if you only know about one strand in a multi-strand zone.

Without a comprehensive picture of fault zones, critical information about the characteristics of active faults and how they interact with each other could be missed information that ultimately helps predict future quakes and protect people from their impacts. Looking back at the study more than a year later, Dr. Johnson imparted just how important having the full picture of fault dynamics is to communities along fault zones:

These data directly contribute to federal and state earthquake hazard assessments, most notably the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps and the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast. California is earthquake country, and the safety and viability of the built relies on accurate earthquake hazard assessments. Hazard assessments have enormous economic impact as they are used in seismic provisions for building codes, insurance rate structures, risk assessments, land-useplanning, and other public policy. This section of the San Andreas fault ruptured in the 1906 M~7.9 San Francisco earthquake, with similar events thought to have a recurrence interval of about 250 years. It is important to understand recent earthquake effects in order to prepare for the inevitable next San Andreas fault earthquake.

Index map of northern California showing northern San Andreas fault (NSAF), regional faults (U.S. Geological Survey and California Geological Survey, 2010), and area of this investigation (Fig.2, box). NSAF is the transform fault boundary between the Pacific plate and the Sierra NevadaGreat Valley microplate (relative plate motion of 39mm/yr).

(Image courtesy of Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 2019;109(3):833-854. doi:10.1785/0120180158)

Dr. Johnson retired from the USGS in June 2019, but remains an emeritus research geologist, still working out of the same lab at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) in Santa Cruz, California. In his emeritus position, he remains actively engaged in work on the San Andreas and other fault networks in the region.

Staff of the USGS PCMSC Geohazards project are now conducting similar geophysical mapping of the Cascadia subduction zone offshore of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, he said during an online interview recently. Additionally, comparable geophysical mapping work is now also occurring offshore in central California. It is an area of research that continues to provide ample opportunity to learn how earthquakes behave and how they can impact communities.

I continue to be fascinated by how the trend of the [San Andreas] fault has so much control on adjacent landscape geomorphology at both the local and regional scale. In fact, earlier this year, we published a study on how active faults, combined with sea-level rise and sediment supply, control offshore sediment distribution along a ~800-km-long section of the California coast. Documentation and synthesis of the many ways that faults control the landscape, including offshore sediment distribution, is fascinating.

Read more:

A Research Retrospective: Offshore Fault Mapping of the San Andreas - United States Geological Survey

Shark migration patterns. The winner of the 2020 presidential election. The color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach at the Super Bowl.

All are fun, unique betting opportunities none of which is legal in Nevada.

As legal sports betting expands across the country, many bettors have turned their back on illegal bookies. But offshore online sportsbooks which arent hampered by the U.S. legal markets restrictions continue to grow.

I think (bettors are) partially attracted to unique bets, said Casey Clark, senior vice president of strategic communications for the American Gaming Association, which represents the $261 billion U.S. casino industry. (But) theres no way to regulate (the illegal, offshore) marketplace.

Its all about patron safety

Illegal offshore books can offer compelling wagers, but Clark said there is no guarantee that bettors will get paid out if they win.

Theres no structure in place to hold anyone accountable, Clark said.

According to a July 21 statement from AGA, these operators continue to draw business from American consumers.

This only worsened during the sports shutdown, with unregulated bookmakers offering odds on everything from the weather to whether your friends marriage will survive the pandemic, said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller in the statement.

While the spread of legalized gambling across the U.S. seems to have drawn some money away from the illegal market, offshore sportsbooks are still growing. Spend from bettors in legal states on illegal bookies dropped 25 percent last year but grew 3 percent for illegal, offshore online sportsbooks, according to a July AGA report.

In Nevada, the states Gaming Control Board has laid out sports betting rules meant to protect bettors.

These regulating bodies help give safety and confidence that no one has an unfair advantage or any insider information, said Tony Alamo, former chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission. Its all about patron safety.

The statutes allow wagers on events sanctioned by a governing body, such as a sports league or the International Olympic Committee. They also prohibit certain bets, like the outcome of public office elections.

Sportsbook operators can get permission to offer wagers not laid out in the statutes, but they must be approved by the Nevada Control Board.

Alamo said the restrictions are meant to hold legal licensees to a high standard.

(With legal sportsbooks,) the patron is protected, thats the key to what Nevada does, he said. Every person who participates in some type of gaming must feel the confidence that theres nothing rigged or inappropriate.

He added that the legal market helps pay for problem gambling initiatives, and taxes go toward programs on everything from infrastructure to education.

A cautious approach

Local sportsbook operators say they understand the appeal of some of the bets found offshore.

As far as some of the offshore markets, they do a tremendous job out there, said Jay Kornegay, the director of Westgates sportsbook.

He pointed to wagers such as how many times Jerry Jones, billionaire owner of the Dallas Cowboys, is shown on screen during a game. Kornegay said the bet wouldnt be allowed in Nevada because there is no regulatory body that could provide an official count.

Theres no official results on how many times they show Jerry Jones on screen. We know hes in his suite, so if they show a panoramic view of the stadium, does that count? If its in the background, does that count? Kornegay said.

He added that wagers such as which team LeBron James will play for remain illegal in Nevada.

We shouldnt accept wages on anything a few people know the answer to, Kornegay said.

Kornegay has seen Nevada sports betting regulations ease in recent years allowing bets on MVP picks, for example but believes certain rules can be further relaxed.

(Nevada regulators) have always taken a cautious approach, which is understandable, he said. (But other markets) have now allowed wagers wed like to accept wagers on.

The Academy Awards is one example: Bets can be placed on winners in New Jersey and Indiana, but not Nevada. The countrys presidential election which is legal in the U.K. but not the U.S. is another.

Those bets could be lucrative for sportsbooks, which run on thin margins.

Kornegay said offshore operators have said the U.S. presidential election is by far their most popular bet, handling 10 times the amount of wagers as the Super Bowl, which earned Nevadas 190 books $18.8 million in February.

But there are hurdles. Kornegay said the academys reluctance to share their process for counting votes has made Nevada hesitate to allow wagers: We cant figure out when they start accepting (votes), when they start counting them, he said. And there are concerns that releasing odds on presidential candidates could influence election results.

Kornegay expects to see restrictions loosen up down the road, but Alamo said some of the bets found offshore probably will never make it to legal sportsbooks in Nevada.

The last thing a sportsbook operator wants to do is mimic an illegal bookmaking operation, he said. Operators must ask themselves, is it worth them taking a chance on a special event that would have a very small handle thus small profit that could put them in harms way with gaming regulators?

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.

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Heres why you cant bet on the outcome of the November election in Nevada - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Industry Heavyweights To Invest In UMaine Offshore Wind Project Near Monhegan Island

The University of Maine's effort to pioneer floating offshore wind technology took a $100 million leap forward Wednesday with the announcement that two industry heavyweights are going to invest in development of the project near Monhegan Island.

A subsidiary of the Mitsubishi company, called Diamond Offshore Wind, is joining with RWE Renewables to invest the $100 million to build and deploy a full-scale, floating wind farm at the site, about 14 miles off Maine's coast. The new company, called New England Aqua-Ventus, will collaborate with the University of Maine composites program that was the incubator for the project's unique floating-platform technology.

"It's a big endeavor, says Chris Wisseman, a long time executive in the offshore wind industry who will lead the new company. It will take a couple years really, to get this off the ground right. To prove that we can build it with Mainers, deploy it safely and really use it as a laboratory for everybody to learn from."

The investment signals the full rehabilitation of an effort that had withered during the governorship of Republican Paul LePage, a fierce opponent of renewable energy projects he characterized as over-dependent on consumer subsidies. Two years ago, his appointees to the state Public Utilities Commission put a hold on a power contract vital to taking the Aqua-Ventus technology beyond the scale-model prototype that was deployed off Castine in 2013.

But last year the Legislature passed a law signed by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, directing the Commission to award a power contract to the project.

"That set the foundation for this project to take off, says Wisseman. So we come in as developer, we are essentially restarting development, selecting the final turbines, we are working on all the engineering details, and so the collaboration with the University is to finish that development, and now get it ready for construction."

The full-scale project will feature a giant turbine on a floating, concrete hull made from concrete. Maine-based Cianbro will construct the modular platform segments in Brewer and barge them down the Penobscot River to Searsport, where they will be con-joined with the turbine and tower and then taken out to sea.

The design was innovated at the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites program, and it aims to allow economically competitive wind energy development in waters deeper than is practical for traditional fixed-platform systems. Backers say it will be the first full-scale floating wind platform in North America, giving Maine a prominent role in a potentially lucrative technology of the future.

"It's a big technology play from our perspective, and the university now has 43 patents," says Dr. Habib Dagher, who leads the university program.

The technology was also designed specifically so it can be built locally to create local jobs. That's really a big distinction between this technology and many others. We don't have to import the hulls from anywhere else. We're going to make them right here in Maine.

The project is expected to create 350 jobs during construction and could be completed by 2023. It has yet to receive any permits though, and is likely to run into some opposition from fishermen and others worried about offshore wind projects potential effects on marine life.

The new company is hiring Genevieve McDonald, a Stonington lobsterman and member of the Legislature, to be its liaison with maritime communities.

One outside observer who recently authored a federal report on the project, Walter Musial of the National Renewable Energy Laboratories, says the investors have deep pockets. Walter Musial says that allows them to play the long game.

Originally published at 5:46 p.m. Aug. 5, 2020.

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Industry Heavyweights To Invest In UMaine Offshore Wind Project Near Monhegan Island - mainepublic.org

Posted: Aug 7, 2020 / 12:47 PM HST / Updated: Aug 7, 2020 / 01:31 PM HST

HONOLULU (KHON2) On Friday, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) announced the closure of all off-shore islands on Oahu starting August 8 at midnight. This includes Ahu O Laka Sandbar in Kaneohe Bay.

This decision comes following the Act with Care Do Not Gather order from Mayor Kirk Caldwell mandating the closures of state parks and beaches.

DLNR added that landing of boats, kayaks, or any other watercraft on these islands or the sandbar will be prohibited in efforts to discourage large gatherings.

The department supports all emergency rules ordered by Governor David Ige and Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell to stop the spread of COVID throughout our communities.

State officials say forest lands will remain open, including trails in the Na Ala Hele Trails and Access Program.

Access through the Waahila State Recreation Area is only for transiting to the Waahila Ridge Trail and access at the Puu Ualakaa State Wayside is only for the Puu Ualakaa Trail. The gates will remain closed and gathering, camping and all other activities are not allowed during this closure period.

For more on this, visit their website.

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All Oahu offshore islets to close at midnight - KHON2

The Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessel market research report is latest addition by Market Study Report, LLC, that elucidates relevant market and competitive insights as well as regional and consumer information. In a nutshell, the research study covers every pivotal aspect of this business sphere that influences the existing trends, profitability position, market share, market size, regional valuation, and business expansion plans of key players in the Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessel market.

The Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessel market report offers significant information regarding this business vertical. As per the document, the market is estimated to record considerable growth as well as amass notable gains during the estimated timeframe.

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The study elaborates the major trends of Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessel market while evaluating the growth opportunities, industry size, volume of sales and revenue predictions. The report also provides a detailed assessment of the various segmentations and their respective impact on the overall market outlook. Moreover, it analyzes the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the growth rate as well as remuneration generation of the market.

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Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessel Market Analytical Overview, Growth Factors, Demand and Trends Forecast to 2025 - Chelanpress

A major source of finance for offshore wind projects may soon open up to the industry's most important technological frontier: floating turbines.

Non-recourse finance, which allowslenders to berepaid from the profits of a project and have no claim over the assets of the borrower, will likely be available to upcoming floating wind projects as the market reaches an initial stage of maturity, experts say. That would help to lower the cost of projects.Non-recourse lending accounts for the majority of funding flowing to conventional European offshore wind projects today.

So far, no floating projects have secured pure non-recourse finance, "but the market is becoming ready for it, said Clment Weber, a floating wind expert atrenewable energy financial advisory firm Green Giraffe.

The lenders involved in the first projects are likely to be the project finance banks that are the most experienced in bottom-fixed offshore wind. On the equity side, we see a clear appetite from oil and gas, utilities, developers and independent power producers," Weber said in an email.

Two European projects, in particular, have paved the way, Weber said.One of them, WindFloat Atlantic, was financed through a 60 million ($68 million) loan from the European Investment Bank in 2018. The 25-megawatt project off the coast of Portugal was commissioned last month. It was developed by a consortium including the utilities EDP and Engie, and the Spanish oil firm Repsol.

The other, Kincardine in Scotland, reached financial close last month through a 380 million ($481 million) Certified Climate Bond arranged by French bank Natixis. The 50-megawatt project, developed by Spain's Grupo Cobra, is aiming for completion laterthis year after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed progress.

Several lenders have seriously looked at the technology, and the financing of WindFloat Atlantic and Kincardine are opening the way to non-recourse debt for future projects, said Weber.

Non-recourse finance accounts for 58 percent of all capital raised for new wind energy projects, though the level is usually higher for offshore projects, according to trade association WindEurope.

Lenders issued a record 16.4 billion ($18.5 billion) in non-recourse debt for offshore projects in 2018, according to WindEurope. The level dropped to 8.8 billion ($9.9 billion) last year, the first time since 2012 that non-recourse finance had been higher in onshore than in offshore.

Nevertheless, said WindEurope, debt financing conditions continue to be favorable, and non-recourse loans remain a preferred route for unlocking affordable, long-term finance from a diversified pool of investors including banks and institutional lenders.

The arrival of non-recourse finance in floating wind will be a vote of confidence in the maturity of the technology, saidAndrei Utkin, senior analyst for global power and renewables at IHS Markit.

"We observe growing interest from different types of financial players, Utkin wrote in an email. Financial players [such as] infrastructure funds [and] banks will enter at the commercial stage, when the technology is proven by demonstration projects and technical risks are reduced.

In the view of Green Giraffe's Weber, lenders should feel comfortable with floating wind platforms because the technology has already been widely used in the oil and gas sector. The current state of the floating wind marketroughly 10 years on from the first prototypesechoes the point at which non-recourse financing first entered bottom-fixed offshore wind.

Still, the sector is not there yet. The first floating projectto attract non-recourse funding will likely need to tick a number of boxes, such as using a proven technology, having an ironclad contract structure and featuring ample contingency budgets and insurance.

The right kinds of government support and regulatory clarity will also be key to opening up financing for the market.There still remains uncertainty on governments and authorities support of projects, creating risk in planning and economics, said Erik Rijkers, director of market development and strategy atanalyst firm Quest Floating Wind Energy.

More open communication and commitment towarddevelopers needs will reassure financiers, but recent roadblocks in U.S. and U.K. bottom-fixed projects prove a misinterpretation of industry requirements exists or these requirements cannot be met. This reflects on the floating industry, he continued.

Floating platforms remain a key development in unlocking vast new markets for offshore wind. And the technology is already plummeting in price.

According to Weber, the levelized cost of energy for floating wind has fallen by nearly halfsince the technology first emerged, dropping from around 200 ($226) per megawatt-hour in the first pilot projects to 110 ($124) per megawatt-hour in current tenders.

The industry expects that the trend will continue in the next 10 years and that fixed and floating could be equally competitive in the 2030s, said Weber. Reducing the real and perceived risks and therefore the cost of financing will play a key role in that decrease.

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Floating Offshore Wind on Cusp of Unlocking Big Source of Finance, Experts Say - Greentech Media News

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Global Offshore Decommissioning Market 2020-2024 The analyst has been monitoring the offshore decommissioning market and it is poised to grow by $ 1.77 bn during 2020-2024 progressing at a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period. Our reports on offshore decommissioning market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05389640/?utm_source=PRN

The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the maturing oil and gas fields and aging platforms and fluctuations in oil and gas prices. In addition, maturing oil and gas fields and aging platforms is anticipated to boost the growth of the market as well. The offshore decommissioning market analysis includes service segment and geographic landscapes

The offshore decommissioning market is segmented as below: By Service Well plugging and abandonment Platform removal Others

By Geographic Landscapes Europe North America APAC MEA South America

This study identifies the strong regulation for offshore decommissioning activities as one of the prime reasons driving the offshore decommissioning market growth during the next few years. The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our offshore decommissioning market covers the following areas: Offshore decommissioning market sizing Offshore decommissioning market forecast Offshore decommissioning market industry analysis

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05389640/?utm_source=PRN

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The Global Offshore Decommissioning Market is expected to grow by $ 1.77 bn during 2020-2024 progressing at a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period -...

New Jersey, United States,- Market Research Intellect has added the latest research on the Offshore Cable Market which offers a concise outline of the market valuation, industry size, SWOT analysis, revenue approximation, and the regional outlook of this business vertical. The report precisely features the key opportunities and challenges faced by contenders of this industry and presents the existing competitive setting and corporate strategies enforced by the Offshore Cable market players.

The Offshore Cable market report is an amalgamation of the key trends influencing the industry growth with respect to the competitive scenario and regions where the business has been successful. Furthermore, the study discusses the various restraints of the industry and uncovers the opportunities that will set the growth course. In addition, a holistic examination of the industry changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are also tagged in the report to aid investors and other participants in making well-informed decisions.

Key highlights from COVID-19 impact analysis:

Unveiling a brief about the Offshore Cable market competitive scope:

The report includes pivotal details about the manufactured products, and in-depth company profile, remuneration, and other production patterns.

The research study encompasses information pertaining to the market share that every company holds, in tandem with the price pattern graph and the gross margins.

Offshore Cable Market, By Type

Offshore Cable Market, By Application

Other important inclusions in the Offshore Cable market report:

A brief overview of the regional landscape:

Reasons To Buy:

About Us:

Market Research Intellect provides syndicated and customized research reports to clients from various industries and organizations with the aim of delivering functional expertise. We provide reports for all industries including Energy, Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Chemicals and Materials, Food and Beverage, and more. These reports deliver an in-depth study of the market with industry analysis, the market value for regions and countries, and trends that are pertinent to the industry.

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Offshore Cable Market Size, Global Future Trend, Segmentation, Business Growth, Top Key Players, Opportunities and Forecast to 2027 - Owned

Offshore wind in the United States is growing by leaps and bounds. And the WoodMac base scenario for the US offshore wind market sees 25 gigawatts of capacity getting built by 2029, up from 42 megawatts in place today. But, the research agency believes that the market could move even faster with smoother processes in place for leasing and permitting.

According to its new research on the subject, they found that accelerated auctions of lease areas could facilitate up to USD 166 billion in offshore wind investment by 2035. The analysts looked at four areas with serious potential: New York Bight, the Carolina Coast, the California Coast, and the Gulf of Maine.

Finding that quicker auctions would help these regions add 80,000 jobs annually all together through 2035, and 16,000 jobs annually after that. It could also supercharge investment into offshore wind in the US, which currently lags behind Europe and Asia. Smoother Leasing Offshore Wind US

Accelerating leasing would also provide opportunities for the offshore wind companies that are currently interested in the US market but dont have a lease area at present.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) oversees offshore wind leasing. The agency is studying New York Bight, the Carolina Coast, the California Coast, and the Gulf of Maine for potential lease opportunities, but it is not expected to hold any lease sales in 2020 and its plans for 2021 are not clear. The analysts estimate, that if BOEM moved forward with leasing these areas it would reap USD 1.2 billion in Treasury revenue.

Leasing these areas would also make it possible for US offshore wind capacity to grow by 28 gigawatts, according to the research.

Recently, in a new report, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) revealed that the global offshore wind capacity will surge to over 234 GW by 2030 from 29.1 GW at the end of 2019, led by exponential growth in the Asia-Pacific region and continued strong growth in Europe. The report highlighted that while Europe continues to be the leading region for offshore wind, countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such asTaiwan, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea, as well as the US market are quickly picking up the pace and will be regions of significant growth in the next decade.

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Smoother Processes for Offshore Wind Leasing in the US Will Unlock Billions: WoodMac - Saurenergy

To the editor:

East Coast Atlantic offshore wind is so important toour country. I live in Gloucester, the oldest seaport in America, and I support our day boats supplying us with fresh fish. My neighbors provide lobsters and clams for us to eat.

These are people with offshore marine skills, some of which theyve had since elementary school. Many of these skills are not being employed now because the cod and haddock have disappeared or gone to Iceland.

These are young men and women who sit looking out their windows like people whose productive lives are in the past.

The bright energy they brought back from their forays into the beautiful and often unforgiving ocean, melded with the art depicting life of a working seaport, produced a vigorous, vibrant energy in Gloucester.

Dramatically powerful offshore wind is now being developed beyond the horizon line, off theSoutheast Massachusetts coast and though Gloucester is 230 miles away from it, we are close enough to once again employ our unique seafaring skills. Someday, we will have wind farms in our own wind envelope off Cape Ann.

Please ask the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to look at the future of our people and culture rather than our past as have some members of the commercial fishing industry.

Robert Myers

Gloucester

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Letter: Offshore wind is part of Gloucester's future - Gloucester Daily Times

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Technavio has been monitoring the offshore patrol vessel market and it is poised to grow by USD 4.91 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 4% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Austal Ltd., BAE Systems Plc, Damen Shipyards Group NV, Fincantieri Spa, Fr. Fassmer GmbH & Co. KG, Fr. Lrssen Werft GmbH & Co. KG, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Naval Group SA, NAVANTIA SA, and Saab AB are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Increasing need to control drug trafficking has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Offshore Patrol Vessel Market 2020-2024 : Segmentation

Offshore Patrol Vessel Market is segmented as below:

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40418

Offshore Patrol Vessel Market 2020-2024 : Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our offshore patrol vessel market report covers the following areas:

This study identifies the increase in maritime activities as one of the prime reasons driving the offshore patrol vessel market growth during the next few years.

Offshore Patrol Vessel Market 2020-2024 : Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the offshore patrol vessel market, including some of the vendors such as Austal Ltd., BAE Systems Plc, Damen Shipyards Group NV, Fincantieri Spa, Fr. Fassmer GmbH & Co. KG, Fr. Lrssen Werft GmbH & Co. KG, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Naval Group SA, NAVANTIA SA, and Saab AB. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the Offshore Patrol Vessel Market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Offshore Patrol Vessel Market 2020-2024 : Key Highlights

Table Of Contents :

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by Product

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor Analysis

Appendix

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavios report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavios comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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COVID-19 Impacts: Offshore Patrol Vessel Market will Accelerate at a CAGR of almost 4% through 2020-2024|Increasing Need To Control Drug Trafficking...

The year is 2020 and Americans have wagered over $22.7 billion at legal U.S. sportsbooks across more than 20 states including in New York since the federal ban on sports wagering outside Nevada fell two years ago. But if legal sports betting is so widespread across the U.S., why are offshore sportsbooks operating illegally in the U.S. still getting heaps of attention in mainstream media? And what exactly is wrong with that, if anything?

Perhaps you saw the most recent kerfuffle. Heres how I think it came about: A publicist for the offshore bookmaker(s) contacts, among others, a sportswriter for the New York Times. The idea is interesting and valid: How will the novel coronavirus pandemic impact sports betting, at a time when pro sports leagues are rebooting in fan-less bubbles, amid mass upheaval and uncertainty? The publicist has knowledgeable sources at the ready to address the questions, and they can deliver comments quickly. The sources are spokespeople or oddsmakers from these offshore sportsbooks, businesses that accept wagers from U.S. bettors in violation of federal law and also state law in many jurisdictions. A writer and editor for the Times, also known as the Newspaper of Record, publishes the story, using sources representing these offshore enterprises.

The writer of the recent Times story did not respond to Sports Handles email requests for comment.

But based on my own experiences, I am fairly certain that the chain above, leading to publication, closely represents how that story made it to print. And its publication in a paper with a massive worldwide reach drew the outrage of, among others, Joe Asher, CEO for William Hill US, a popular but derided-in-some-corners sportsbook operating legally in a growing number of states from Nevada to Indiana to New Jersey.

The Times article raises dozens of questions including questions of law, of publicity and public relations, business ethics, journalistic ethics, advertising practices, customer satisfaction, and consumer protection. Many of the questions dont have good answers yet, and there are far more questions than I could attempt to ask and answer in a readable article.

So here I wish to identify five questions, largely focusing on the media aspect. These questions warrant continued discussion and will arise again over and over (possibly in a court of law), as the post-PASPA legal U.S. sports betting industry moves through the terrible twos.

This is subjective. No doubt the COVID-19/sports betting impact is a valid and newsworthy topic and generated discussion in many other publications. But is the Times usage here endorsing these particular sportsbooks? Publication of comments/accounts from a source is not tantamount to endorsing that source, the sources organization, or even the truth of the sources comment or assertions. Indeed, a journalists job is to report the unbiased truth, and part of the truth is discussing half-truths and outright lies.

Theres also the issue of linking to the sportsbooks domains. Is that tantamount to advertising, and therefore illegal, as the American Gaming Associations Casey Clark insists?

Its not as clear-cut as he suggests. A link to another publication/comment most often is simply basic attribution, giving credit, or suggesting further, relevant reading. To link to the source website or original reporting is common practice. Now, if there were some sort of kickback arrangement here (very doubtful), or payment for the linking, that would be a different story; no one is alleging that here, to be clear.

How about legitimized? That one is tough, because legitimacy may also speak to a sportsbook operators functional business practices. When finding quality information sources, does it matter whether or not certain offshore sportsbooks do bookmaking better?

Has the Times whitewashed, implied the legality of, or suggested that the offshore sportsbooks referenced are actually operating legally in the U.S.? I think thats closer to the actual practical impact here. But even that is open to debate.

The First Amendment affords individuals and news media very broad free-speech protections for incisive reporting, nuanced opinion, blogging about nonsense, shouting and meme-ing on social media and beyond.

Some have argued that the quoting and linking to offshore sportsbooks is illegal: specifically, that it constitutes aiding and abetting a violation of the Federal Wire Act. Some legal cases such as United States vs. Edge Broadcasting Co., as well as the settlement between The Sporting News and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), have approached similar issues around casino and lottery advertising.

Of course, governmental entities including the DOJ and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) have spoken to and warned of prosecution for certain acts.

Here are relevant sections from a 2003 letter to the National Association of Broadcasters, from John G. Malcolm, deputy assistant attorney general for the DOJ, written as a self-described public service:

Because of the possibility that some of your organizations members may be accepting money to place such advertisements, the Department of Justice, as a public service, would like you to be aware that the entities and individuals placing these advertisements may be violating various state and federal laws and that entities and individuals that accept and run such advertisements may be aiding and abetting these illegal activities.

Notwithstanding their frequent claims of legitimacy, Internet gambling and offshore sportsbook operations that accept bets from customers in the United States violate Sections 1084, 1952, and 1955 of Title 18 of the United States Code, each of which is a Class E felony. Additionally, pursuant to Title 18. United States Code. Section 2, any person Or entity who aids or abets in the commission of any of the above-listed offenses is punishable as a principal violator of those statutes. The Department of Justice is responsible for enforcing these statutes. and we reserve the right to prosecute violators of the law.

***

Broadcasters and other media outlets should know of the illegality of offshore sportsbook and Internet gambling operations since, presumably, they would not run advertisements for illegal narcotics sales, prostitution, child pornography or other prohibited activities. Wed appreciate it if you would forward this public service message to all of your member organizations which may be running such advertisements, so that they may consult with their counsel or take whatever actions they deem appropriate.

I think it is exceedingly unlikely that what appears in the Times story was anything but news reporting, i.e., not an advertisement for which any remuneration of any kind was involved. But however you define the usage in the article, and in the scores of similar instances across mainstream and local media, meeting the threshold for aiding and abetting of the Wire Act is a serious hurdle that would require establishing intent to facilitate a violation of the law.

This DOJ letter, from 15 years before a rapidly expanding legal sports betting market was born, was a warning shot. Clearly, the DOJ does not look fondly on the usage; however, theres a clear demarcation made between advertising and First Amendment speech.

Separately, consider the likelihood of the government prosecuting the party publishing an alleged advertisement, when prosecution of the actual sportsbooks operating illegally is practically non-existent.

More recently, here is an excerpt from a November 2019 letter written by New Jersey DGE Director David Rebuck, to inform news and media outlets and other entities that engage in sportsbook advertising in New Jersey about the importance of not endorsing or referencing internet sportsbook operators that are not authorized to accept wagers from customers located in New Jersey.

The dispatch is most akin to an admonishment from a consumer protection standpoint or a request for support of the states burgeoning legal sports betting market. The point is, its well-intentioned, but lacks teeth.

If the sources remarks and insight are accurate, valid, truthful, newsworthy, even reasonable, has the journalist not done his or her job, or met ethical expectations? Does a journalist have a responsibility to quote/source/link sportsbooks licensed in U.S. jurisdictions only?

Here is further advice from Rebucks November 2019 letter, directed to news and media outlets and other entities engaged in sportsbook advertising in New Jersey:

If an unauthorized site must be mentioned in a report, include a statement that the site is not licensed to provide sports wagering bets in New Jersey, and direct readers to the DGE website that contains the approved list of sports wagering entities and events.

Has the Times committed any wrongdoing by omitting a statement that neither of the two sportsbooks mentioned holds a license to operate in New York, New Jersey, or anywhere in the U.S.? Is the Times in any way responsible, if a reader in New York, Wisconsin, or anywhere the sportsbooks are not licensed, reads the story and then transacts business with those sportsbook sites? The Times is read literally worldwide, and these sportsbooks, for whatever they might do in the U.S., are licensed in non-U.S. jurisdictions; were not talking about The Newark Bugle here.

How proximate is the newspaper reference to someones depositing of funds? How much responsibility does Joe Q. Bettor bear in managing his own finances and transactions? These questions dont have clear answers.

Did the Times fail to vet the sources or those sportsbooks, realize that a .ag domain means Antigua, and wonder why, or explore? Was the information itself satisfactory, so in any case, the origin and licensure status of the sportsbook lack relevance?

The CEO of Smarkets and SBK (licensed Colorado sportsbook and a licensed betting exchange in the U.K.), Jason Trost, wrote on Twitter: IIllegal offshore books dont pay taxes, get software audited, follow responsible betting practice, undergo criminal background checks of staff, etc etc. While a lot of regulation is (very) poorly thought-out, to advocate illegal is better is irresponsible and uninformed.

But again, is quoting and linking the same as advocating? Have I just advocated for Jason Trosts Smarkets by quoting his remark on social media? Does taxation have any relevance here whatsoever?

And consider the source(s). At all times. As respected sports wagering industry observer and critic Captain Jack puts it well:

Time for the disclosure: Sports Handle is owned by Better Collective, a gambling industry affiliate marketing company headquartered in Denmark, with U.S. headquarters in Tennessee. It is monetized in large part by commissions for sending players to U.S.-based sportsbooks. So question my agenda and credibility, too, as Im sure you already have.

And heres one more question lacking a clear-cut answer: Does it matter that some U.S.-based legal bookmakers rely on offshore bookmakers to set and adjust their lines, and thus to operate in general? Never mind if they do or dont, or to what degree thats another question of honesty and ethics that exists separately from the law.

The journalist who reports on the subject? Her/his editor? The American Gaming Association? The Department of Justice? William Hill U.S.? The National Sports Media Association? The New Jersey DGE and a coalition of other regulatory agencies for states in which sports betting is legal?

How about stakeholders shouting foul on social media? Well, that happens often and may be cathartic or provide a dopamine rush of likes, but does it have any practical value?

Sometimes, public service/education campaigns come by force. In a 2006 case between the DOJ and The Sporting Newsregarding advertisement of illegally operating sportsbooks, The Sporting News was required by the settlement agreement to spend $3 million to inform and educate said audience that offshore/foreign gambling enterprises conducting, in whole or in part, online or telephonic sports bookmaking and casino-type gambling activities in the United States violate federal and state laws, as do United States-based gamblers using those wagering services.

Perhaps the lessons werent lasting or widespread.

As recently as 2019, FOX Sports betting program Lock It In was displaying odds/lines from one of the same offshore sportsbooks referenced in the Times article. In print, youll find such references frequently in prominent local, national and international publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Washington Post, Indianapolis Star, and far beyond.

And Barstool Sports as recently as 2018 was sponsor for/partner with an offshore sportsbook of generally ill repute, before Barstool President Dave Portnoy went scorched earth on it after a dispute. Now Penn National, which bought a $165 million stake in Barstool, is just weeks away from rolling out legal Barstool-branded sportsbooks in Pennsylvania and other U.S. markets.

The ubiquity of mainstream media quoting offshore sportsbooks, rather than Nevada bookmakers or those representing any sportsbook licensed in the U.S., is in large part a by-product of PASPAs 26-year run from 1992-2018.

The law created a vacuum that was filled by an enormous offshore and illegal bookmaking industry, through which U.S. residents wagered roughly $150 billion annually. During that time, offshore sportsbooks sought publicity and found it frequently all across U.S. media.

The sheer volume of illegal betting was accompanied by U.S.-based media articles rooted in betting interest, novelty prop bets (topic for another day), or very basic stories about which team is favored. It makes for good or at least well-read copy for a large audience. Long-standing relationships were made between publicity pros and writers/reporters, establishing two-way communications.

Do PR representatives for legal sportsbooks now need to do a better job engaging with and penetrating media? Well, they are certainly trying and many have been effective. But offshore competitors, which arent going away, got a 26-year head start on some of the national U.S. sportsbooks.

Overall, the questions are numerous, and the answers, well, it depends who you ask.

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The Times, They Arent A-Changing: Offshore Sportsbooks Still Have Their Hooks In Mainstream Media - Sports Handle

The Connecticut Port Authority has filed a permit application with the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) in relation to works to upgrade State Pier as an offshore wind port.

The proposed two-phase State Pier infrastructure redevelopment project in the Thames River includes demolition activities, filling in between the two existing piers, onshore site work and in-water activities in the Thames River.

Phase one will consist of the onshore improvements and activities at the site, as well as select in-water demolition activities.

It will span demolition of buildings, excavation, grading and installation of a stormwater management system and utilities.

The site will be levelled and graded to accommodate future uses.

Phase two work will consist of activities like dredging, fill placement and marine structure construction for creation of the new Central Wharf area and heavy-lift pad.

Activity in phase two will include the demolition of approximately 400 linear feet of State Pier to facilitate construction of the heavy lift pile supported area and bulkhead at the State Piers east berth.

It will also include dredging of a vessel berthing area along the proposed north-east bulkhead heavy lift area and at the east berth heavy lift area.

At the east berth heavy lift area dredging work will also include seabed preparation for installation of crushed gravel areas to allow for berthing of vessels with jack-up legs, or similar, at both the north-east bulkhead and east berth heavy lift areas.

The Corps is soliciting comments from members of the public, federal, state, local agencies, Indian Tribes and other interested parties to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity.

Public comments on the proposed work by the Connecticut Port Authority should be forwarded no later than 3 September 2020 to the US Army Corps of Engineers, New England District.

The project will create infrastructure in Connecticut that will serve as a long-term, regional wind turbine port facility while at the same time continuing to support other existing long-term breakbulk operations for steel, coil steel, lumber, copper billets, as well as other cargo.

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Permit filed for Connecticut port offshore wind upgrade - reNEWS

The University of Maine (UMaine) has announced that two industry heavyweights are investing in the development of a pioneer floating offshore wind technology project.

Diamond Offshore Wind, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi company, is joining with RWE Renewables to invest $100 million to build and deploy a full-scale, floating wind farm 14 miles off Maines coast.

They will collaborate through a new joint venture called New England Aqua Ventus, which will collaborate with the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center that is designing, engineering, researching and monitoring the floating platform technology.

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New England Aqua Ventus I is an up to 12MW floating offshore wind pilot project to develop a clean, renewable energy source off Maines shores.

This demonstration project is unique in that it will mount a 9.5-10MW wind turbine to a floating semisubmersible concrete hull called the VolturnUS, designed by the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine.

The patented VolturnUS hull technology has been demonstrated in independent reports to reduce the cost of offshore wind. The turbine is held in position in the ocean by three marine mooring lines securely anchored to the seabed and connected by subsea cable to the Maine power grid by subsea cable.

The full-scale project is expected to be completed by 2023 and could create 350 jobs.

This will likely be the first project in the U.S. of commercial scale, if all goes according to schedule, said Habib Dagher, executive director of the UMaine Composites Center.

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RWE and Mitsubishi invest in US offshore floating wind project - Power Engineering International