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A planned offshore wind farm whose developers are billing it as the largest in the world has produced electricity for the first time, according to . ��

What’s going on: “Located in the North Sea, over 130 kilometers off England’s northeast coast, the Dogger Bank Wind Farm still has some way to go before it’s fully operational, but the installation and powering up of its first turbine is a major feat in itself. That’s because GE Vernova’s Haliade-X turbines stand 260 meters tall—that’s higher than San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge—and have blades measuring 107 meters.”

• Once the installation is complete, the ship will have 277 Haliade-X turbines.

Why it’s a game-changer: “Described by Dogger Bank as the ‘largest offshore jack-up installation vessel ever built,’ in many ways, it’s the pinnacle of an extensive supply chain involving numerous businesses and stakeholders.”

• Thanks to four legs that allow the vessel to lift itself above the water’s surface, the wind farm will be able to operate in depths of up to 80 meters—some 30 meters deeper than fixed-foundation wind farms.

Power producer: Once fully up and running, project developers say the Dogger Bank Wind Farm will have a capacity of 3.6 gigawatts, enough “to power as many as 6 million homes per year.”

• For the sake of comparison, the U.K.’s fully operational Hornsea 2—considered a major wind farm—has a capacity of just over 1.3 GW, according to another piece.

A complex project: The totality of the undertaking is “huge,” according to one source, and being made more complex “by the use of next-generation turbines and a next-generation installation vessel.”

• Given the immense size of the Haliade-X turbines, “we use a number of specially designed pieces of equipment to transport” them, a GE Offshore Wind spokesperson said.

The 51�Թ���’s view: ��“Offshore wind can be an important part of an all-of-the-above energy strategy that helps meet energy security and decarbonization goals,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Domestic Policy Brandon Farris. “Manufacturers keep leading the way with investments in the next generation of energy technologies—and the 51�Թ��� will continue to advocate energy policies that provide manufacturers affordable, reliable energy.” ��​�ċ�ċ�ċ​​​

The Bridge of the Americas in South-Central El Paso, Texas—one of the largest land ports for U.S.–Mexico trade—restarted commercial operations on a limited schedule yesterday, according to a from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

• It’s a development that the 51�Թ��� advocated, having engaged in continued talks with the Biden administration and relevant agencies since cargo movement was suspended last month.����

What’s going on: The port of entry reopened at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday and closed at 2:00 p.m., a schedule it will keep temporarily each week Monday through Friday.

• In recent weeks, large numbers of migrants have crossed the Texas–Mexico border, and the CBP stopped commercial movement along the Bridge of the Americas so federal customs agents could assist with the influx.

Why it’s important: “The temporary bridge closure and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) enhanced safety truck inspections at El Paso’s two other truck ports of entry have drastically slowed cargo truck crossings in recent weeks between El Paso and Juárez, Mexico,” according to the .

• Last week, the value of goods in thousands of trucks backed up on the Mexican side of the border “had surpassed $1.5 billion,” according to a source cited by (subscription).
• Prior to the temporary closure, the bridge had been processing approximately 500 northbound trucks a day, according to the El Paso Times.

The 51�Թ��� says: “Mexico is the largest trading partner of the U.S. and facilitating trade between the two countries is vital to manufacturers’ operations,” said 51�Թ��� Director of Trade Facilitation Policy Ali Aafedt. “The 51�Թ��� will continue to share the impacts of the disruption with the federal government and urge solutions to resolve the continuing backlog.”��
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New orders for manufactured goods increased in August after declining in July, according to data.

Factory orders: New orders rose 1.2% in August following a 2.1% decrease the previous month.

• Factory orders for durable and nondurable goods increased 0.1% and 2.1%, respectively, but declines in nondefense aircraft and components pulled down durable goods demand.
• Excluding transportation equipment, new factory orders jumped 1.4%, rising for the third month in a row.

Core capital goods: New orders for core capital goods—or nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for capital spending in the U.S. economy—increased 0.9% to a record high of $73.95 billion in August.

Factory shipments: Factory shipments rose 1.3% in August, marking the fourth consecutive monthly increase.

• Total factory shipments have risen 0.5% over the past year, dipping 0.9% year over year when transportation equipment is excluded.
• Factory shipments excluding transportation equipment have increased 1.0% year to date.

Shipments of core capital goods: Shipments of core capital goods rose 0.7% in August, to an all-time high of $74.38 billion, reflecting 2.6% growth over the past 12 months.

In a milestone for the logistics sector, Danish shipping firm Maersk recently unveiled “its first container vessel moved with green methanol,” reports.

What’s going on: “The new container ship, ordered in 2021, has two engines: one moved by traditional fuels and another run with green methanol—an alternative component, which uses biomass or captured carbon and hydrogen [for] renewable power. Practically speaking, the new vessel emits 100 tons of carbon dioxide fewer per day compared to diesel-based ships.”

• The ship is the first of a larger order of 25 due for delivery next year.
• Other shipping firms have placed orders for similar vessels.

Why it’s important: Because it’s a global industry—with approximately 90% of the world’s traded products traveling by sea—ocean shipping has typically been less receptive to transitioning to new energy sources, Danish Minister of Industry Morten Bodskov said, according to the article.

• For example, “[i]n June, a group of 20 nations supported a plan for a levy on shipping industry emissions. But China, Argentina and Brazil were among the nations pushing back against such an idea.”

Climate goals: Maersk aims to be “climate neutral” by 2040, making the green-methanol vessels a key part of its approximately 700-ship fleet.

However … “[A]nalysts are worried that Maersk and its competitors might struggle to find enough supply of green methanol. The fuel is scarce and costly to transport.”

The last word: “Manufacturers are leading the way on developing and scaling up new clean energy sources,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Domestic Policy Brandon Farris. “The 51�Թ��� continues to advocate for policies and programs that foster and encourage that innovation.”

In a victory for manufacturers, the House yesterday passed an bill that would prohibit states from banning the sale of new gas-powered vehicles, the reports.

What’s going on: “Lawmakers voted 222–190 to pass the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, which would amend federal law to block state attempts to eliminate the sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines as well as prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from issuing waivers that ban such sales.”

The background: In recent months, the EPA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and state of California have all proposed measures to limit emissions from light- and medium-duty vehicles.

Why it’s important: The range of frequently conflicting regulations is creating confusion and regulatory uncertainty for manufacturers.

• The Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act would eliminate that confusion by “harmoniz[ing] vehicle emissions standards,” 51�Թ��� Managing Vice President of Policy Chris Netram told lawmakers. “When manufacturers have regulatory clarity, we can focus on what we do best—innovating, creating jobs and investing in America.”

What’s next: The measure now moves to the Senate.
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Manufacturers can take specific steps to improve the resilience of the health care supply chain, the 51�Թ���’s latest health care study found.

What’s going on: —conducted by the Manufacturing Policy Initiative at Indiana University—analyzes data from the COVID-19 pandemic, when manufacturers in the U.S. had to produce large quantities of critical health care equipment under difficult, fast-evolving conditions.

Building resilience: The study found that to prepare the supply chain for a future disruption of similar magnitude, manufacturers should focus on seven areas:

• Speed: Manufacturers must be able to satisfy demand quickly.
• Information: Manufacturers require timely access to accurate information.
• Cost: Firms face the costs of taking action within the supply chain, as well as the costs of managing market unpredictability and policy environment uncertainty.
• Networks: Partnerships can support information sharing and networks to help manufacturers navigate the disruption.
• Size: Supply chain challenges can look different for small, medium-sized and new manufacturers than for larger, established firms.
• Technology: Tech can help manufacturers increase production, improve efficiency and speed up innovation.
• Flexibility: Responses can come from unexpected sources and need a flexible policy environment.

The 51�Թ��� says: “Policymakers should utilize these lessons to bolster our supply chain for the next disruption,” 51�Թ��� Chief Economist Chad Moutray said. “This analysis … reveals that there are key policy actions needed to strengthen the manufacturing supply chain. Research shows a more balanced regulatory agenda, with an emphasis on clarity, predictability and coordination, will help mitigate the effects of the next disruption.”
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Chevron Corp. has bought a majority stake in a federal government–supported “green” hydrogen project in Utah that, once completed, will “produce massive volumes” of the renewable energy source, according to E&E News’ (subscription).

What’s going on: Chevron said on Tuesday that it had completed a deal with fuel-storage developer Magnum Development LLC to take over full ownership of the Utah salt caverns where green hydrogen production and storage is set to take place.

• This purchase gives the energy giant “a majority interest in the joint venture that is developing the [Advanced Clean Energy Storage] project.”
• ACES—in which Mitsubishi Power Americas Inc. and private-equity firm Haddington Ventures LLC are also partners—won a $504 million loan guarantee from the Department of Energy in 2022.
• The project is part of a larger effort by Chevron to develop emerging energy technologies through 2028.

Why it’s important: “We seek to leverage the unique strengths of each partner to develop a large-scale, hydrogen platform that provides affordable, reliable, ever-cleaner energy and helps our customers achieve their lower carbon goals,” Chevron New Energies Vice President Austin Knight said in a statement.

• The plan is to make the hydrogen in the salt caverns in Delta, Utah, “for use at a nearby power plant” looking to diversify its energy mix—and aiming to run entirely on hydrogen by 2045.

Another effort: In partnership with ExxonMobil Corp. and Shell PLC, Chevron is also part of a Texas industry group asking for $1.25 billion in 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to construct hydrogen “hubs,” large-scale demonstrations of hydrogen production, transportation, usage and storage.

A model project: “Currently under construction, the ACES project could become one of the western U.S.’s most important demonstrations of what a low-carbon hydrogen industry might look like,” ENERGYWIRE reports.

The 51�Թ���’s take: “Manufacturers view clean energy solutions, such as hydrogen, as an important part of our country’s energy present and future—and the industry is used to leading the charge in developing and scaling hydrogen projects for widespread use,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Domestic Economic Policy Brandon Farris.

• “The 51�Թ��� is to ensuring that the hydrogen tax credit and other incentives help build the appropriate market conditions for hydrogen projects to succeed.”

Factory orders for manufactured products declined 2.1% in July, after having risen for four consecutive months, while factory shipments increased 0.5%, according to data.

Orders: Durable goods orders fell 5.2% in July, mostly due to declines in orders of aircraft and aircraft parts.

• However … excluding transportation equipment, factory orders increased 0.8% in July, with durable goods up 0.5%.
• Nondurable goods orders rose 1.1% in the same period.

A spending proxy rises: New orders for core capital goods—nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for capital spending in the U.S. economy—inched up 0.1% in July to $73.60 billion, just shy of the record high of $73.87 billion in May.

• Year-over-year, core capital goods orders have increased 0.8%.

The long view: Orders for new manufactured goods have decreased 0.7% in the past year, with factory orders excluding transportation declining 2.5% year-over-year.��

Shipments: July marked the third consecutive month of increases for factory shipments.

• But in the past 12 months, total factory shipments have declined 0.6%, or 2.3% year-over-year excluding transportation equipment.
• Core capital goods shipments fell 0.3% in July, pulling back for the second month in a row from May’s record high of $74.05 billion.

In related news: Economic activity in the U.S. services sector continued to grow last month, with the ISM® Services PMI recording its eighth straight month of growth, the strongest pace since February, according to .
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Late last week, West Coast dockworkers voted to ratify a long-term employment contract that was agreed upon earlier this summer, (subscription) reports.

What’s going on: Approximately 75% of International Longshore and Warehouse Union members voted in favor of the six-year labor contract with the Pacific Maritime Association.

• This ratification vote formalizes the tentative agreement reached in June, which was preceded by several brief work stoppages, and is the culmination of negotiations that began in May 2022.
• “The ILWU represents about 22,000 workers at 29 ports from California to Washington state.”

Why it’s important: These negotiations, which ultimately took 14 months to resolve, were at times tumultuous, and the resulting supply chain disruptions led to a significant loss of West Coast cargo business to the East and Gulf coasts.

• Together the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach constitute the busiest ocean trade gateway in the U.S., handling almost 40% of U.S. imports from Asia, according to the .
• The 51�Թ��� consistently ��for a resolution to these talks and commissioned an economic impact in 2022 that found even a 15-day shuttering of these two West Coast ports would cost the U.S. economy nearly half a billion dollars a day and 41,000 jobs.

The 51�Թ��� says: “Ratification of this six-year contract provides manufacturers with the supply chain reliability they need for operational planning and stability,” said 51�Թ��� Director of Infrastructure and Labor Policy Ben Siegrist.

• “51�Թ��� members have overcome countless shipping challenges over the past few years and were at the forefront of calling for this resolution. We are pleased the contract has been ratified.”

The federal permitting process for major transmission lines should soon get a lot easier to navigate, according to POLITICO’s (subscription).

What’s going on: Last Thursday, the Department of Energy proposed “completing environmental reviews and other federal approvals for electric power lines within two years.”

• In addition, “DOE would be the lead agency conducting environmental impact statements and other federal reviews for transmission projects so that developers wouldn’t need to go through multiple federal agencies.”
• Once finalized, the framework will be called the Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorization and Permits Program.

Why it’s important: The draft revision—a response to the recent debt-ceiling deal—could slash the time it takes to get long-distance power lines built and operational.

• This “could help integrate more solar and wind into the U.S. energy resource mix,” according to ENERGYWIRE.
• Though Congress authorized the DOE as lead federal agency in reviewing electric power lines, this proposal marks the first time the authority has been “formally proposed,” a source told the news outlet.

Developers’ role: The proposal details what developers would have to do under the new process.

• “For example, DOE would require developers to complete resource reports about potential environmental impacts from construction or operation of their projects. Applicants would also need to submit plans for engaging with communities affected by a new transmission line.”

However … CITAP wouldn’t cancel the need for local and state permits.

• “Rather, the goal is to ensure that developers have a clearer and smoother process for obtaining necessary federal permits.”

The 51�Թ���’s take: “This is a step in the right direction,” said 51�Թ��� Vice President of Domestic Economic Policy Brandon Farris. “As part of our push for permitting reform, the 51�Թ��� has long advocated for a lead federal agency to run point and streamline the permitting process.”

• “The 51�Թ��� will continue to work with Congress and the administration to make the permitting process more predictable and consolidate the many complex layers of review so the U.S. can continue to build on our shared goals of boosting domestic manufacturing.”