The new Action Plan outlines immediate actions needed to connect the first generation of Atlantic offshore wind projects to the electric grid, as well as longer-term efforts to increase transmission over the next several decades.
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), is working to support the Administration's interagency goal of 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind (OSW) by 2030, as well as future deployment to ramp up to 110+ GW in 2050 and beyond. The development of strategic and equitable OSW transmission will allow wind resources to be captured off the coasts of the United States and delivered to communities as clean, reliable power. To achieve these goals, proactive transmission planning and development will be needed.
Current Activities
Agency Collaboration: The Offshore Wind Energy Strategy is a Department-wide strategy outlining how DOE will support the Administration’s whole-of-government approach to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind in support of achieving a carbon-free electricity sector by 2035.
Atlantic Offshore Wind Study, Convenings, and Action Plan: On September 19, 2023, DOE published an Action Plan for Offshore Wind Transmission Development in the U.S. Atlantic Region, a set of bold actions developed in partnership with BOEM outlines immediate actions needed to connect the first generation of Atlantic offshore wind projects onto the electric grid, and longer-term efforts to support needed transmission over the next several decades.
For more information, visit Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Action Plan.
The Action Plan was informed by the forthcoming Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study, as well as a series of convening workshops with subject matter experts and decision makers, including tribal nations, state governments, and regional transmission operators held from April 2022 to March 2023.
For more information, visit Atlantic Coast Offshore Wind Transmission.
West Coast Offshore Wind Transmission Study: In 2023, the Grid Deployment Office and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office announced the kick-off of the West Coast Offshore Wind Transmission Study to detail transmission options to support offshore wind development in the Pacific Ocean along the U.S. West Coast.
For more information, visit West Coast Offshore Wind Transmission.
Technical Assistance: The Tribal Nation Technical Assistance Program for Offshore Wind Transmission program supports the engagement of Federally Recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and Villages in activities related to the planning and development of U.S. offshore wind transmission and was developed in direct response to tribal input.
For more information, visit Tribal Nation Offshore Wind Transmission Technical Assistance Program.
For additional questions, contact the team at OSWtransmission@hq.doe.gov.
To learn more about GDO’s funding and financing programs made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, see the Grid and Transmission Program Conductor.