The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), was developing strategic offshore wind (OSW) transmission planning to allow wind resources to be captured off the coasts of the United States and delivered to communities as reliable power.
Past Activities
Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Convening Series: In support of expanding and strengthening the electric transmission grid across the nation, DOE and BOEM convened decisionmakers and senior leadership from federal agencies, Tribal entities, state public utility commissions, state energy offices, state environmental and natural resource agencies, ISO/RTOs, electric reliability organizations, consumer advocates, and current BOEM leaseholders to provide insight on collaborative solutions for near-, medium-, and long-term offshore wind (OSW) transmission challenges. Held from April 2022 to March 2023, the convening workshops focused on developing strategies to support sustainable and equitable development of OSW transmission that minimizes impacts to ocean co-users and marine environments and creates benefits for coastal and underserved communities, and the Nation as a whole.
Recorded events: In June 2022, a convening workshop was held to solicit broader public input and in March 2023, a final convening workshop was held to discuss the agencies’ findings following the full convening series, preview the preliminary results from the Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study, and provide opportunities for public comment.
Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Action Plan: On March 21, 2024, DOE released the final Action Plan for Offshore Wind Transmission Development in the U.S. Atlantic Region, a set of bold actions developed in partnership with BOEM. The outputs of the convening workshops and the Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study have informed DOE and BOEM’s development of a set of OSW transmission-focused recommendations and associated time-bound, regional specific action plans for enabling solutions, starting with the Atlantic Coast.
For more information, visit Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Action Plan.
Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission: In June 2023, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey submitted a letter to the Grid Deployment Office requesting support in forming a “Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission” to enhance system reliability, accelerate offshore wind deployment, and transition to a clean energy future more quickly and affordably. Since June, Maryland and Delaware have joined the Collaborative discussions, bringing the group’s size to a total of 10 states. Meetings with these states have begun, and the Department of Energy is working with the states to explore how best to support their engagement in transmission planning and development activities needed to meet their energy policy goals.
Standardization for Interregional Offshore Wind Transmission: In September 2024, the Grid Deployment Office opened an initial funding opportunity of up to $1.25 million that will advance OSW deployment along the Atlantic Coast by identifying opportunities and strategies to standardize transmission development. Managed in collaboration with ConnectWerx, the “Standardization for Interregional Offshore Wind Transmission” funding opportunity seeks to identify technical experts, including specialized independent consultants or academic entities, to lead a consortium that identifies standardized OSW transmission equipment specifications to support coordinated procurement in the United States. For more information, visit Standardization for Interregional Offshore Wind Transmission.
Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study: The Wind Energy Technologies Office at DOE led a two-year Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study (AOSWTS). Conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the AOSWTS evaluated multiple pathways to OSW goals through coordinated transmission solutions along the Atlantic Coast in the near-term (2030) and long-term (2050), under various generation mix and load futures. Resulting topologies and datasets illuminated benefits and shortcomings in terms of production costs, system reliability, and resilience of specific transmission infrastructure concepts. These contributions filled research gaps, supported timely and informed recommendations on OSW transmission strategies for the convening workshops, and offered feasible solutions that may benefit stakeholders in their planning processes.
Contact Us
For additional questions, contact the team at OSWtransmission@hq.doe.gov. Learn more about GDO’s funding and financing programs made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act: Grid and Transmission Program Conductor.