The New York Power Authority (NYPA) has released a report focused on learning from the European offshore wind sector.
European offshore wind transmission models as a guide will help New York head towards its 9GW by 2035 goal.
European nations have together installed nearly 16,000 megawatts of offshore wind capacity. The United States has thus far managed just one 30-megawatt project, the Block Island Wind Farm, off Rhode Island.
The study focused on transmission and interconnection strategies, while also development and electricity rate structures in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, which enabled each country to lower its costs over time.
“Offshore wind is an important renewable energy source that will help New York State achieve Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading clean energy goals,” said Gil C. Quiniones, NYPA’s president and CEO. “We see great value in studying what European countries have learned about transmission and interconnection infrastructure. We can now apply those learnings to build cost-effective projects that benefit all New Yorkers and our key partners and stakeholders while advancing the Governor’s aggressive climate goals.”
The Governor’s clean energy agenda recognizes the integral role of wind to fulfill his mandate to decarbonize the energy sector by 2040 and have 70 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2030.
As of today, New York has awarded a total of approximately 4,700 MW of large-scale renewable energy contracts since March 2018 through three separate solicitations, a globally significant advancement in renewable energy. Collectively, these projects will provide enough renewable energy to power up to two million households and meet nearly 10% of New York's electricity needs by 2025.
Takeaways from the Offshore Wind – A European Perspective report will help move the state even further along in its goals including the 70 percent renewable power by 2030 goal and its target for reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050.
The study closely examined transmission and grid interconnection strategies, as well as development and electricity rate structures in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, which enabled each country to lower its costs over time.
Many successful approaches to developing an offshore wind system were identified. A series of key takeaways were highlighted to help guide the evolution of the offshore wind industry in the U.S. as it continues to quickly evolve.