Citing “significant federal uncertainty,” the New York State Public Service Commission on July 17 said it was recalibrating the timeline for offshore wind transmission development.
“With the federal government halting new offshore wind permitting, the Commission is strategically terminating the ongoing Public Policy Transmission Need (PPTN) process, ensuring New Yorkers are not burdened with premature infrastructure costs while preserving the flexibility to act quickly as soon as federal conditions allow,” it said.
“While this decision is about timing and ratepayer protection, New York’s commitment to offshore wind remains strong. By adjusting the pace of investment, the Commission is protecting affordability today while preserving a path forward in the future.”
The PPTN process began in 2023, when the Commission initiated planning for long-term transmission infrastructure to support the integration of future offshore wind energy resources to the electric grid.
The Commission determined that a coordinated transmission project was needed to deliver between 4.77 and 8 gigawatts of offshore wind energy into New York City.
Further, the Commission sought solutions that could be constructed and placed in-service by 2033, a timeframe consistent with the state’s goals for offshore wind resources.
The Commission referred this transmission need as a PPTN to the operator of the state’s electric grid, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), for the solicitation and evaluation of competing proposals.
NYISO launched its solicitation on April 4, 2024, and has been evaluating the solutions submitted in response to the solicitation since that time.
“However, recent federal decisions to halt the permitting and construction of offshore wind generation platforms make achieving New York’s offshore wind goal impossible in the near term and undermine the central purpose of the transmission solicitation. In consideration of all the facts, the need for federal partnership in developing large offshore wind and transmission infrastructure, and the necessity of avoiding the imposition of significant costs and risk on New York ratepayers, the Commission decided to rescind its transmission need determination and terminate the NYISO’s evaluation process,” the Commission said.
The decision does not affect previously permitted offshore wind generation projects in New York, the largest offshore wind market in the nation.
New York already has one offshore wind farm in operation, South Fork, which is capable of producing 132 megawatts of electricity.
On May 19, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that Empire Wind, which is building an 816-megawatt offshore wind array, would resume construction.
Equinor — the project’s developer — has resumed construction of this fully-permitted project that had already received the necessary federal approvals.
Additionally, New York has a third project under construction by Ørsted, the Sunrise Wind project, that is planned to deliver 924 megawatts of electricity into Long Island.
“The Commission remains committed to the responsible, cost-effective deployment of transmission and offshore wind generation,” it said.
It has directed New York Department of Public Service staff to incorporate lessons learned from the PPTN process into the review of Clean Energy Standard (CES) solicitation practices directed by the Commission in the May 2025 CES Biennial Review order. DPS staff will explore coordinated approaches to planning offshore wind generation and transmission infrastructure that reduce project development risks, promote cost-effective solutions, and maximize reliability and affordability benefits to the state’s ratepayers.
The Commission “also recognizes the importance of continuing to ensure reliability in New York City and identifying the clean generation resources and proceed with ongoing work in existing reliability planning processes to identify necessary transmission solutions, including through the Coordinated Grid Planning Process.
The Commission directed DPS staff in coordination with NYSERDA and the NYISO, to identify what clean energy solutions may be available and incorporate these potential solutions into the next CES Biennial Review, scheduled to be issued in 2026.
As a result of the July 17 action, the PPTN process is closed. Meanwhile, the Commission will continue to monitor developments at the federal level related to offshore wind development and the impacts federal policy will have on the offshore wind industry in New York and across the United States.
