In recent years more states have begun to consider the potential of offshore wind as a clean energy source, particularly as the Biden Administration has offered incentives. It has made offshore leases available in the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts, created tax incentives and programs to strengthen the supply chain and train the workforce.
The Biden Administration has set the goal of achieving 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030 - that would serve the power needs of 10 million homes. And many states have also established their own offshore wind targets.
In March, 2024 the nation's first commercial offshore wind farm became operational according to the Associated Press. The White House reported in September that the 10th commercial project had gained approval.
A key challenge to meeting these goals is designing the electric transmission necessary for these projects to transport the energy generated from the offshore turbines to onshore communities.
Despite the growing interest, offshore wind is still in the early stages of development in most of the US. New innovations in transmission infrastructure will be necessary to expand delivery of offshore energy to onshore consumers. Electricity generated by the turbines passes through marine substations, which need to be connected to onshore substations through cables. From there, they must be connected to the broader grid. The cables used to transmit electricity to shore face potential environmental and commercial obstacles such as seafloor habitats or fisheries.
A major concern for offshore transmission planning is determining optimal cable routes and interconnection points to avoid the congestion of the existing coastal transmission infrastructure while reducing system costs. Therefore, planning studies are considering different topology scenarios. Scenarios vary from limited offshore interconnections to expansive interregional interlinks between offshore wind platforms.
The required transmission infrastructure can vary depending on the coast. Waters on the east coast are relatively shallow, allowing the turbines, substations and transmission cables to be attached to the seafloor. Meanwhile, the waters on the west coast are much deeper and require floating infrastructure. While there has been substantial research and development into deploying floating infrastructure, this technology is still in its early stages, thus limiting offshore wind development on the West coast.
Various entities are involved in the offshore wind and transmission development process. At the federal level, the Department of Energy provides funding for and conducts research, development and demonstration projects for offshore wind. The DOE is currently funding and overseeing offshore wind transmission studies for the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico. These studies compare different transmission strategies for each of the coasts, such as potential transmission routes, topology concerns and different types of infrastructure.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission plays a key role in transmission planning by regulating regional transmission organizations and approving offshore wind transmission interconnections. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management oversees the planning and leasing of offshore wind projects.
In addition to setting offshore wind targets, state legislatures have also been considering legislation to facilitate offshore transmission development. States have introduced legislation to initiate feasibility studies, designate siting authorities and establish transmission planning guidelines. Additionally, a few legislatures have enacted legislation specifically requiring their public utility commissions to collaborate with neighboring states and their regional transmission organizations to establish offshore transmission plans.