The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced new investments to strengthen U.S. leadership in the development of floating offshore wind by advancing offshore wind transmission planning, research, and partnerships.
In order to advance progress, the Departments of Energy, the Interior, Commerce, and Transportation have gathered stakeholders for the Biden-Harris Administration’s Floating Offshore Wind Shot Summit. The benefits of clean energy could reach millions of homes and businesses in America because two-thirds of the country’s offshore wind resource is situated in deep-water regions that call for floating platforms.
“Floating offshore wind offers untapped opportunities for us to produce clean, reliable and affordable power for millions,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.
“President Biden wants America to become a global leader of offshore wind technology and deployment, and with his historic climate investments, DOE is capturing this potential to spur private investment, boost the domestic supply chain and deliver on our bold clean energy goals.”
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With funds from the President’s Inflation Reduction Act, DOE is launching a new West Coast Offshore Wind Transmission Study, a 20-month analysis examining how the country can expand transmission to harness power from floating offshore wind for West Coast communities.
The study will use its findings to develop practical plans through 2050 to address transmission constraints that currently limit offshore wind development along the nation’s West Coast. It is also expected to evaluate multiple pathways to reaching offshore wind goals while supporting grid reliability, resilience, and ocean co-use.
This study marks the first announcement stemming from $100 million included within the Inflation Reduction Act for transmission planning and complements an analysis released today by DOE that evaluates existing West Coast offshore wind energy transmission research.
The analysis identifies deployment gaps that the wind industry must address to successfully develop offshore wind energy off the nation’s West Coast.
Story adapted from Energy.Gov
