Offshore Wind Transmission Corridor Act

Presented By Dinesh Kumar

This Movement Is Currently
In The Working With Lobbyists Stage.

THE OFFSHORE WIND TRANSMISSION CHALLENGE

America’s offshore wind potential represents a transformative clean energy opportunity, but current project-by-project transmission approaches create significant inefficiencies:

• 30+ gigawatts of offshore wind in development pipeline nationwide
• Current approach requires each project to build its own transmission line
• Individually permitted cables create unnecessary environmental impacts
• Limited offshore interconnection points constrain development potential
• Uncoordinated approach increases costs by estimated 30%
• Individual cable corridors multiply coastal community impacts
• Fragmented planning prevents optimized system development
• Current regulatory frameworks hinder multi-project transmission solutions
• Limited financing mechanisms available for shared infrastructure
• Individual project timelines prevent coordinated development

Without comprehensive planning, America’s offshore wind industry faces higher costs, greater environmental impacts, community opposition, and slower deployment than necessary.

OUR COORDINATED TRANSMISSION SOLUTION

Our proposed legislation would establish:

1. OFFSHORE TRANSMISSION CORRIDOR PLANNING

• Designation of priority offshore wind energy areas
• Coordinated transmission corridor identification
• Environmental assessment at corridor rather than project level
• Stakeholder engagement process for corridor planning
• Multi-project capacity allocation within designated corridors
• Integration with onshore grid planning processes
• Coordination with existing ocean users during planning
• Optimization for future expansion capability
• Strategic assessment of offshore substation locations
• Technology standardization facilitating interoperability

2. STREAMLINED PERMITTING FRAMEWORK

• Corridor-level environmental impact statements
• Coordinated federal-state review processes
• Consolidated permit timelines across agencies
• Pre-approved corridor specifications for developers
• Categorical exclusions for projects following corridor standards
• Standardized mitigation requirements within corridors
• Monitoring protocols for environmental impacts
• Adaptive management frameworks addressing emerging concerns
• Single application portal across jurisdictions
• Regular permit process assessment and improvement

3. FINANCING & COST ALLOCATION MECHANISMS

• Federal financing guarantees for offshore backbone projects
• Public-private partnership models for shared infrastructure
• Cost allocation methodologies across multiple projects
• Rate recovery mechanisms ensuring investor certainty
• Risk mitigation strategies for first-mover developers
• Phased development models matching generation timelines
• User fee structures for shared infrastructure
• Investment tax credit eligibility for offshore transmission
• Transmission Investment Credit program expansion
• Infrastructure bank participation in financing

4. TECHNICAL STANDARDS & INTEROPERABILITY

• Voltage and technology standardization
• Interoperability requirements ensuring compatible interfaces
• Redundancy specifications ensuring reliability
• Cable specifications facilitating shared corridors
• Offshore substation design standardization
• Communication protocols between systems
• Control system compatibility requirements
• Cyber security standards for offshore infrastructure
• Performance requirements ensuring system stability
• Technology assessment ensuring appropriate solutions

5. REGIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISMS

• Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf regional planning bodies
• Interstate coordination frameworks for landing points
• Federal-state-local government coordination processes
• Utility and grid operator integration in planning
• Developer participation structures in planning
• Tribal consultation protocols for affected nations
• Fisheries coordination protecting traditional uses
• Military and navigation deconfliction processes
• Annual assessment of plan implementation
• Regular plan updates responding to industry evolution

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

The legislation would establish an Offshore Transmission Coordination Office within the Department of Energy coordinating with BOEM, FERC, and state agencies with initial funding of $250 million. Implementation would prioritize:

• Areas with multiple projects in advanced development
• Corridors addressing known grid interconnection constraints
• Regions with established offshore wind energy areas
• Opportunities for significant cost and impact reduction
• Projects with compatible development timelines
• Demonstration projects establishing model approaches
• Regular stakeholder engagement throughout implementation
• Knowledge capture ensuring continuous improvement
• Public education building understanding and support
• Long-term planning creating sustainable development framework

Our coalition includes offshore wind developers, transmission providers, environmental organizations, coastal communities, labor unions, and grid operators committed to efficient, environmentally-responsible offshore wind deployment.

Your support will help create the coordinated infrastructure framework needed to unlock America’s offshore wind potential efficiently and responsibly—reducing costs, minimizing environmental impacts, and accelerating clean energy deployment through sensible planning rather than project-by-project approaches.