Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Action Plan

An Action Plan for Offshore Wind Transmission Development in the U.S. Atlantic Region (Action Plan) details how wind resources could efficiently be captured off the Atlantic Coast of the United States and delivered to communities as clean, reliable power. It outlines immediate actions needed to connect the first generation of Atlantic offshore wind projects to the electric grid, as well as longer-term efforts to increase transmission over the next several decades. Over the mid- to long-term, increased inter-regional coordination, shared transmission lines, and an offshore network of HVDC interlinks can more efficiently bring this energy onshore.

Recommendations

• Before 2025: Establish collaborative bodies that span the Atlantic Coast region; clarify some of the building blocks of transmission planning, including updating reliability standards and identifying where offshore transmission may interconnect with the onshore grid; and address costs through voluntary cost assignments. 
• From 2025 to 2030: Simultaneously convene and coordinate with states to plan for an offshore transmission network; with industry to standardize requirements for HVDC technology; and with federal agencies, tribal nations, state agencies, and stakeholders to identify and prioritize transmission paths on the outer continental shelf. 
• From 2030 to 2040: Establish a national HVDC testing and certification center to ensure compatibility when interconnecting multiple HVDC substations to form an offshore grid network and codify updates to transmission planning through regulated interregional joint planning, transfer capacity minimums, and market monitoring.
• Sustaining actions: Improve environmental review and permitting frameworks, support strong state leadership, empower permitting agencies, develop thoughtful cost allocation practices, and consider the utilization of national corridors actions. 

The Action Plan was informed by the Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study, as well as a series of convening workshops with subject matter experts and decision makers, including tribal nations, state governments, and regional transmission operators held from April 2022 to March 2023. Views expressed and recommendations made were revised and republished in March 2024, following the completion of the Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study.