Shared grid offshore New York cuts over $500 million in costs (Report)

A multi-user, planned transmission system for offshore wind in New York could result in electric grid cost savings of over $500 million and significantly reduce environmental impacts and project risks, according to a new report prepared by The Brattle Group for Anbaric.

The Offshore Wind Transmission: An Analysis of Options for New York report evaluates the challenges of connecting each wind farm to shore individually compared to a high-capacity transmission system serving multiple wind farms.

Relying on individual generator lead lines would require extensive onshore grid upgrades costing four times as much as a planned approach, the report writes, emphasizing that by using fewer cable routes and more robust grid connections, a planned transmission system reduces grid congestion and the need for expensive, disruptive onshore transmission upgrades, thus reducing the impacts on the marine environment and coastal communities.

According to the study, a planned transmission approach would reduce cabling by almost 60%, preventing 660 miles of seabed disturbance and reducing the impact on fisheries and marine ecosystems.

Additionally, the report finds that planned transmission would more fully utilize lease areas and more easily reduce offshore wind curtailment. This approach using more efficient direct current technology would deliver more power to shore than alternating current technology.

“Developing a shared ocean grid is critical to achieving New York’s ambitious offshore wind goals,” said Kevin Knobloch, President of Anbaric’s New York OceanGrid.

“The next phase in achieving New York’s goals depends on building transmission infrastructure in a way that reduces overall costs and feasibility risks, protects fisheries, coastal communities and the environment, and enables developing the offshore wind industry to scale.”