The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has announced a request for competitive interest for the development of a New York and New Jersey offshore wind transmission line, which would deliver offshore wind energy to the onshore electric grid.
Anbaric Development Partners LLC (ADP) has requested a right-of-way grant to develop the NY/NJ OceanGrids, but prior to reviewing the right-of-way application, BOEM must determine whether there are other developers interested in the same area. In turn, BOEM has published a request for competitive interest in the Federal Register.
“Offshore transmission infrastructure will be critical to the long-term success of the offshore wind industry,” says BOEM’s acting director, Walter Cruickshank. “We look forward to working with our state and local government partners, industry and others as we continue to oversee responsible offshore wind development while diversifying our nation’s energy portfolio.”
In addition, BOEM is providing an opportunity for the public and interested stakeholders to provide comments on the ADP right-of-way request. Comments may include information relating to potential effects on the environment and marine habitats; geological and geophysical conditions (including bottom and shallow hazards); archaeological, historic and/or cultural resources; and multiple uses that exist in the area, including commercial and recreational fishing.
Feedback received will be incorporated into an environmental assessment (EA) analyzing the potential impacts of granting a right-of-way and associated survey activities. The EA will include additional opportunities for stakeholders to provide feedback and additional comments.
ADP’s proposed project would entail the construction, installation and operation of a transmission system. This includes the siting of several offshore collector platforms (OCPs), each connected to one or more high-voltage subsea export cables to onshore points of interconnection. Each proposed OCP would be designed to handle 800 MW to 1,200 MW of offshore wind energy, with the ability to connect multiple offshore wind projects and accommodate phased development within BOEM’s designated wind energy areas.
If BOEM receives indications of competitive interest from qualified entities, the agency may decide to move forward with the right-of-way grant issuance process using competitive procedures. BOEM says it will continue to consult with the state task force and partners regarding the proposed transmission project.
“Anbaric welcomes this initiative from BOEM, and we look forward to our right-of-way application moving through this review process, a critical step in allowing us to build the foundation for deploying renewable power at a meaningful scale,” comments Edward Krapels, CEO of Anbaric. “We applaud BOEM for taking every step to ensure the long-term success of the offshore wind industry.”
More information can be found here.
