California grid operator backs big boost in offshore wind

These projects "represent the first wave of development for offshore wind to meet the state’s portfolio needs…", Neil Millar, CAISO’s vice president for infrastructure and operations planning, said in a statement. Additionally, the plan would also support the development of more than 38 GW of solar generation, 3 GW of wind within California, and 21 GW of geothermal development, according to CAISO.

California's grid operator has recommended $6.1 billion of new transmission projects with most of the money to channel more electricity from offshore wind turbines to the grid as the most populous U.S. state races to meet clean energy targets.

State utility regulators have projected that California needs to build more than 85 GW of clean electricity capacity by 2035 to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals and keep up with demand. Nineteen of the 26 projects included in the California Independent System Operator's plan would be required to ensure grid reliability amid expected increases in electricity use, as well as a broader transition to renewable resources, it said on Tuesday.

Three of the transmission lines included in the plan – forecast to cost $4.59 billion – would help channel electricity from floating offshore wind turbines to the state grid. These projects "represent the first wave of development for offshore wind to meet the state's portfolio needs…", Neil Millar, CAISO's vice president for infrastructure and operations planning, said in a statement.

Additionally, the plan would also support the development of more than 38 GW of solar generation, 3 GW of wind within California, and 21 GW of geothermal development, according to CAISO. It would also help California import more than 5.6 GW of wind resources from Idaho, Wyoming and New Mexico.

A final version of the draft plan will be evaluated by CAISO's Board of Governors in May. The U.S. Interior Department on Tuesday approved the eighth American commercial-scale offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts, bringing the country a third of the way to President Joe Biden's goal of permitting 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)