The Offshore Grid: The Future of America's Offshore Wind Energy Potential

Abstract

As the United States moves toward the increasing integration of renewable energy sources, an examination and analysis of the country‘s failure to develop its offshore wind resources is essential. Such a failure is incongruous with the United States‘ world-leading status in renewable energy innovation and is particularly troubling given the abundance of offshore wind resources along densely populated U.S. coastal states that lack other renewable energy alternatives. First, this Note will establish the importance of offshore wind as a renewable energy resource and examine major barriers to its development. Second, an examination of the Atlantic Wind Connection transmission project will demonstrate the important role offshore transmission may play in jumpstarting the U.S. offshore wind industry. Third, this Note will survey approaches adopted by other states and regions to develop transmission infrastructure to deliver disparate sources of renewable energy. Last, this Note will identify best practices from previous transmission approaches to identify where future offshore transmission projects would be most effective and identify the types of policies necessary to spur offshore wind energy development.