Ten Northeast states signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a framework for coordinating their activities to improve interregional transmission planning and development.
The MOU, which was announced on July 9, was signed by New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Last year, a group of Northeast states led a request to the U.S. Department of Energy to convene and support a multi-state initiative, the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, in a first-in-the-nation effort to explore mutually beneficial opportunities to increase the flow of electricity between three different planning regions in the Northeast and assess offshore wind infrastructure needs and solutions.
The multi-state group has been working with DOE over the past year to develop the structure and scope of activities for the Collaborative.
Through the MOU, the Collaborative sets forth its agreement to work together on interregional transmission infrastructure and establishes mechanisms for sharing information.
The Collaborative also announced on July 9 plans to produce a strategic action plan for promoting the development of interregional transmission projects for offshore wind resources to be harnessed off the Northeast coast.
The action plan would include identification of barriers to such projects and actionable options for addressing them.
The Collaborative intends to provide opportunities for external engagement as part of the development of a plan.
The states would also coordinate on technical standards for offshore wind transmission equipment to ensure future flexibility and interoperability as projects come on-line in different locations and at different times, preserving the ability to interconnect regions as the industry matures.
