In 2018, Massachusetts passed An Act to Advance Clean Energy, Chapter 227 of the Acts of 2018 (the “Act”), which required the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to 1) investigate the necessity, benefits and costs of requiring the electricity distribution companies (EDC) to conduct solicitations and procurements for up to 1,600 MW of additional offshore wind and 2) evaluate previous solicitation and procurement processes and make recommendations for any improvements. Additionally, the Act allows DOER to require the EDCs to jointly and competitively solicit and procure proposals for offshore wind energy transmission sufficient to deliver energy generation procured under the Act.

DOER is soliciting written comment and will hold a technical conference to gather data on whether and/or how a solicitation for independent transmission should occur and, if warranted, issue a separate contingent solicitation for independent transmission prior to additional solicitations for offshore wind.

This Request for Comment on Massachusetts Offshore Wind Transmission and Notice of Date for Technical Conference begins the process to gather information and data for a possible separate contingent solicitation for independent transmission. This effort will be undertaken in partnership with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC). Further information on offshore wind is available on DOER’s Offshore Wind Study page.

All interested stakeholders and members of the public are encouraged to provide written comments to Marian Swain (marian.swain@mass.gov) no later than Tuesday, February 18, 2020. The technical conference co-hosted by MassCEC and DOER will take place in Boston on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Please see the Notice linked above for stakeholder questions and conference details.

If you have any questions, please email DOER at marian.swain@mass.gov.