North-east US states have agreed to coordinate their activities to improve interregional transmission planning and development, to boost the clean energy transition.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) will establish a framework for coordinating the 10 state’s activities to improve interregional transmission planning and development, which will enhance grid reliability and accelerate renewables expansion.
Last year, a group of states led a request to the US Department of Energy (DoE) to convene and support a multi-region initiative, the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, to explore mutually beneficial opportunities to increase the flow of electricity between three different planning regions in the north-east and assess offshore wind infrastructure needs and solutions.
The MoU was signed by New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
“New Jersey is not alone in experiencing increasingly frequent extreme weather events and record-breaking temperatures that threaten public health and safety,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (pictured).
“We are also not alone in our response to the intensifying climate crisis, which provides crucial opportunities to leverage interregional partnerships toward improving our collective resilience and economic vitality.
“As the Garden State bolsters its standing as a national offshore wind hub, we will continue working tirelessly alongside our regional partners to improve grid reliability.”
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) president Christine Guhl-Sadovy added: “As we continue to grow our burgeoning offshore wind industry – while capitalising on its significant environmental and economic benefits – we will also continue to collaborate with our regional partners to build a transmission network that is increasingly more reliable and resilient.”
The multi-state group has been working with DoE over the past year to develop the structure and scope of activities.
Through this MoU, the collaborative sets forth its agreement to work together on interregional transmission infrastructure and establishes mechanisms for sharing information.
Enhancing transmission ties between regions lowers costs for consumers through increased access to lower-priced energy and bolsters reliability during periods of extreme weather and system stress.
The group will produce a strategic action plan for promoting the development of interregional transmission projects for offshore wind resources to be harnessed off the north-east coast and delivered to communities as clean, reliable power.
The action plan would include identification of barriers to such projects and actionable options for addressing them and provide opportunities for external engagement as part of the development of a plan.
The states would also coordinate on technical standards for offshore wind transmission equipment to ensure future flexibility and interoperability as projects come online in different locations and at different times, preserving the ability to interconnect regions as the industry matures.