New York cancels offshore wind transmission plans amid federal uncertainty

It said that the New York State Public Service Commission had terminated its offshore transmission planning due to a stalled federal permit, in order to protect ratepayers of New York State from premature infrastructure costs.

This halts Public Policy Transmission Needs (PPTN), which was seeking proposals for delivering up to 8 gigawatts offshore wind energy to New York City before 2033.

The commission cited federal actions that have halted new offshore wind leasing, permitting and it claimed this makes short-term project implementation unfeasible.

Rory M. Christian, Chair of the Commission, said: "Given Washington's uncertainty we need to act now to protect consumers." This is not the end. We'll continue to move forward as soon as the federal government resumes granting permits.

The commission stated that New York remains committed to offshore wind. Existing projects such as South Fork Wind and Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind continue to progress.

The commission has instructed its staff to use lessons learned from the PPTN to inform future planning. They will focus on affordability, reliability, and risk reduction. Additional guidance will be included in the 2026 Clean Energy Standard Biennial Review.

(source: Reuters)