The US Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office (GDO) has announced a funding opportunity of up to $1.25 million to establish a consortium for standardizing offshore wind transmission equipment specifications, aimed at supporting coordinated procurement in the US.
Managed by GDO and ConnectWerx, the funding is available to independent consultants and academic entities with expertise in transmission development and offshore wind deployment along the US Atlantic Coast.
The Grid Deployment Office will fund one principal investigator for an initial one-year period to lead a consortium of technical experts. This consortium will include original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), offshore wind developers, regional transmission organizations, independent system operators, transmission owners, utilities, and entities experienced in offshore wind standards and procurements.
The consortium’s main task will be to provide guidance and develop best practices for the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission. This aims to promote efficient interconnection of projects that may involve different vendors and equipment from various manufacturers.
The initiative is focused on the Atlantic region but is expected to benefit the entire US offshore wind industry and may influence future state actions across coastal regions, according to GDO.
“Offshore wind energy is already powering more than 100,000 homes along the East Coast, with the potential to grow while enhancing grid reliability,” said Maria Robinson, Director of the Grid Deployment Office at the US Department of Energy. “We are working to accelerate offshore wind deployment as quickly and safely as possible. Standardizing transmission equipment used to connect offshore wind projects will give us a huge head start in bringing these systems online faster.”
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