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North-east US states form grid collaborative
17/7/2024
Ten north-east US states have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for coordinating their activities to improve interregional electricity transmission planning and development.
The MOU signatories include New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. The initiative, known as the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, aims to enhance the flow of electricity between three planning regions in the north-east US and address offshore wind infrastructure needs.
The MOU marks a significant step in the collaborative efforts that began last year when a group of north-east states requested the US Department of Energy (DOE) to support a multi-state initiative focused on interregional transmission.
‘As we face down the challenge of climate change, we know we cannot tackle this threat as individual states,’ comments Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper. ‘Regional and interregional collaboration is a top priority.’
Jason Marshall, Massachusetts EEA Deputy Secretary for Federal and Regional Energy Affairs, continues: ‘Our collective planning now will ensure that we maximise investments in infrastructure that are foundational to meeting power system demands in the decades to come.’
Benefits highlighted include the enhancement of grid reliability and the reduction of consumer costs. By improving transmission ties between regions, the Collaborative aims to lower energy prices through increased access to lower-cost energy sources and to bolster grid reliability during extreme weather events and system stress.
The Collaborative has also announced its intention to produce a strategic action plan to promote interregional transmission projects for offshore wind resources, identifying barriers and proposing actionable solutions. The 10 states will also coordinate on technical standards for offshore wind transmission equipment to ensure future flexibility and interoperability. The Collaborative also intends to engage with external stakeholders to ensure broad-based support and input into the plan.
Demonstrating the growing collaboration among US states on interregional transmission, a coalition of New England states and New York recently filed a joint application for federal funding through the DOE’s Grid Innovation Program (GIP). The application proposed development of the ‘Clean Resilience Link’, a transmission system upgrade that would enable operation of a New York-New England transmission line at 345 kV, increasing transfer capacity between the two regions by up to 1,000 MW.
