By Blake Jackson
The New York State Public Service Commission has officially ended its offshore wind transmission planning process, citing delays in federal permitting. The decision aims to shield state consumers from bearing early infrastructure costs linked to uncertain projects.
The halted process, known as the Public Policy Transmission Need (PPTN), was initially intended to solicit proposals for delivering up to 8 gigawatts of offshore wind energy to New York City by 2033.
The Commission pointed to recent federal decisions that paused new offshore wind leasing and permitting as the reason for suspending the initiative, noting that such delays hinder short-term execution.
“Given the uncertainty coming out of Washington, we must act to protect consumers,” stated Commission Chair Rory M. Christian. “This is not the end - we’ll move forward once the federal government resumes permitting.”
Despite the pause, the Commission emphasized its continued support for offshore wind. Projects already underway, such as South Fork Wind, Empire Wind, and Sunrise Wind, are not affected and will progress as planned.
“Shovel-ready offshore wind projects are poised to add major capacity to the U.S. grid just when it’s needed most,” said Hillary Bright, executive director of Turn Forward, a nonprofit that promotes offshore wind development.
“Experts across the board are warning that the U.S. will soon face a shortfall in power supplies due to escalating demand from AI, cryptocurrency, and other digital economy drivers.”
The Commission has instructed staff to apply insights from the PPTN process to future planning efforts. These learnings will guide the 2026 Clean Energy Standard Biennial Review, with a focus on affordability, reliability, and risk mitigation.
Categories: New York, Energy, Government & Policy