Announcements

On October 24, Governor Hochul announced the largest state investment in renewable energy in U.S. history. This includes competitively selecting three (3) new offshore wind projects totaling 4,032 megawatts (MW) and $300 million in state investments for supply chain facilities in New York’s Capital Region. Visit New York’s Offshore Wind Projects webpage for more information.

Building upon the Commission’s Transmission Planning Order this summer, the NY Independent Service Operator (NYISO) initiated the NYC Public Policy Transmission Need for coordinated transmission into the Con Edison grid. Prospective bidders are participating in technical conferences ahead of a formal solicitation anticipated in early 2024. Learn more on NYISO Planning Studies.

Coast Guard Sector New York guidance documents: Sector NY has developed two (2) guidance documents relevant for offshore wind projects. Stakeholder Outreach Best Practices was developed to assist project managers of major marine construction projects within the Port of New York and New Jersey and on the Hudson River. Information for Windfarm Leaseholders was developed to assist offshore wind leaseholders with a range of topics pertinent to working in Sector NY.

Empire Wind 1 Article VII Joint Proposal (JP): A Joint Proposal was filed with the NYS Public Service Commission on 8/15/2023 and is available for download (Case 21-T-0366). The JP contains proposed project conditions to address anticipated impacts that were agreed upon by the developer, NYS agencies, NYC, and Long Island Commercial Fishing Association. On 8/22/2023, the NYS Public Service Commission issued a notice accepting comments on the JP through September 15, 2023. Files potentially of interest to the M-TWG are:

• Summary of the Joint Proposal
• EW1 Joint Proposal
• Appendix D: Proposed Certificate Conditions
• Appendix G: Mariner Notification and Public Input Processes

BOEM has initiated its review of the Beacon Wind Project located in southern New England waters that is proposing two (2) phases of development and two (2) possible landfall locations in Astoria, Queens and Waterford, Connecticut. The deadline for comments is July 31.

NYS Public Service Commission (PSC) Order Addressing Public Policy Requirements for Transmission Planning Purposes (Case 22-E-0633) initiates a process to deliver at least 4,770 MW and up to 8,000 MW of offshore wind generation to NYC’s Con Edison system. The M-TWG comments are cited on pg. 27 & 40.

(7/3/2023) Department of Energy (DOE) announces National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC) process. Public comment period extended to July 31. Update on 8/23/2023: New York State Entities responded to DOE’s request for information in this letter.

Northeast states seek to establish a “Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission” that would leverage DOE’s technical expertise in partnership with states representing New England, New York, and New Jersey to explore opportunities for increased electric transmission interconnectivity, including for offshore wind.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced their new Clean Ports Program with a $3B grant offering. To learn more about this initiative and the June 5^th deadline for stakeholder feedback, click here.

The M-TWG Cabling Workshop Summary Report is available on the workshop page. Our sincere thanks to all the workshop participants for a successful meeting and informative document. The Summary Report was also submitted to the NYS Public Service Commission Case 22-E-0633.

The New York Offshore Wind Cable Corridor Constraints Assessment final report was published in March 2023. The Assessment may inform what actions New York State can consider, helping ensure maximum benefits of renewable OSW energy while minimizing conflicts and impacts on activities and infrastructure. For more information, visit https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/All-Programs/Offshore-Wind/Focus-Areas/Transmission-NY-Electricity-Grid.

NYSERDA’s existing portfolio of projects can be found on the New York’s Offshore Wind Projects webpage.

The Mid-Atlantic Data Portal maintains a listing of informational resources for current and recent government agency actions, including public comment periods, related to ocean planning in the region https://portal.midatlanticocean.org/current-agency-actions.

More announcements are coming soon!