Getting Extra Offshore Wind Power to Northern California & Southern Oregon

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We lately launched a brand new report that evaluates potential situations for electrical grid transmission growth to assist floating offshore wind alongside the northern coast of California and the southern coast of Oregon. The situations embrace onshore and offshore (undersea) transmission programs, with interconnections starting from 7.2 to 25.8 gigawatts of era capability. The examine encompasses a number of attainable wind farm websites between Coos Bay, Oregon and Cape Mendocino, California, together with the 2 at the moment awarded lease areas positioned 20 miles off California’s Humboldt Bay, and two Draft Wind Power Areas close to Brookings and Coos Bay, Oregon.

As a result of the prevailing transmission infrastructure in these rural, coastal areas could be very restricted, main investments will likely be required to assist offshore wind growth. This report estimates that transmission infrastructure prices may vary from $7.5 billion for a 7.2 gigawatt wind farm to as a lot as $41.3 billion for a 25.8 gigawatt buildout. For the 7.2 gigawatt situation, annual system-wide advantages are estimated to be roughly $1.2 billion, when in comparison with a base case with out offshore wind era. These financial savings embrace each manufacturing price financial savings and greenhouse gasoline emissions financial savings; the latter is valued at $72 per metric ton of prevented emissions, primarily based on the EPA’s projected social price of carbon.

The report examines mixtures of onshore and offshore transmission options, using each high-voltage alternating present (HVAC) and high-voltage direct present (HVDC). Estimates additionally embrace the prices to ship wind energy to close by coastal communities. The evaluation signifies that coastal communities close to wind farms may very well be related to the brand new transmission infrastructure, thereby rising the reliability and obtainable capability of electrical energy in these areas, for less than 0.4% to 2.4% of the general price of the transmission upgrades.

This examine additionally features a preliminary evaluation of anticipated allowing challenges associated to environmental impacts, land use conflicts, and undersea cable routing. The findings point out vital variations in allowing issue, starting from low to very excessive among the many varied attainable routes.

As a result of the Pacific offshore wind buildout will take a long time to perform, the report emphasizes that infrastructure funding selections made within the early phases have to be knowledgeable by anticipated long-term methods—each to reduce price and influence, and in order that developments don’t grow to be stranded. Proactive, regional transmission planning is vital. Likewise, applied sciences put in at this time have to be designed to adapt to future options.

We suggest subsequent steps together with taking a extra detailed take a look at near-term transmission wants for the primary section of offshore wind growth; an in depth evaluation of transmission routes, land possession, and rights-of-way; and an evaluation of the potential to couple battery power storage with offshore wind.

This examine was funded by the California Power Fee and the Workplace of Native Protection Neighborhood Cooperation of the U.S. Division of Protection, and developed in shut collaboration with the Oregon Division of Power. Technical mission companions included the Nationwide Renewable Power Laboratory, Quanta Know-how, H. T. Harvey & Associates, Mott MacDonald, and Conaway Geomatics.

Information launch from Schatz Power Analysis Middle.

Associated Offshore Wind Power Publications

Northern California and Southern Oregon Offshore Wind Transmission Research

Transmission Options for California North Coast Offshore Wind

Extra wind reviews (2021-2023)

California North Coast Offshore Wind Research