Biden Administration Unveils Action Plan to Accelerate Offshore Wind Transmission

The Departments of the Interior and Energy on Sept. 19 released a detailed transmission action proposal to realize the ample potential of Atlantic offshore wind energy.  The action plan sets out bold strategies that will speed up the investment and development in offshore wind energy and strengthen the domestic supply chain.

The action plan is partly funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and has a clear pathway up until 2040. In the short term the plan aims to connect earlier Atlantic offshore wind projects to the electricity grid and increase transmission over the next few decades. In the medium to longer term, the plan aims to increase intra-regional coordination, share transmission lines, and create an offshore network of high voltage direct current interlinks which can bring the energy onshore more efficiently.

The Energy Department also declared the launch of the Tribal Nation Technical Assistance Program for Offshore Wind Transmission, which offers training and development funding and resources to support interest in offshore wind planning. As it stands, the Biden Administration has authorized four commercial scale offshore wind projects and is on path to finish reviews of at least 16 offshore wind project proposals by 2025, accounting for more than 27 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy.

These activities are expected to ensure equitable and sustainable offshore wind energy development, domestic manufacturing, and grid integration. They provide a strategy to unlock the U.S. vast potential efficiently to help reach the Biden administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030, and potential pathway to 110 GW or more by 2050.

Offshore wind energy in the U.S. is expected to play a pivotal part in transitioning the countries to a clean energy future, as well as ensuring security of supply. The action plan highlights essential measures necessary to connect the earlier Atlantic offshore wind projects to the electric grid and longer term initiatives to reinforce required transmission over the coming decades. Synchronised planning, as well as clear goals and actions will assist in speeding up timelines and ensure project costs are lower, while at the same time strengthening the economy by creating jobs and creating new opportunities.