Offshore HVDC Backbone Design and Development

Offshore wind is growing worldwide, exceeding 80 GW at the end of 2023. The US has set a goal of 30 GW by 2030, and significant growth is expected beyond that. A central enabler of this growth is the onshore and offshore transmission developments necessary to bring wind energy to the loads. Because so much of this transmission must utilize submarine or underground cables in longer distance applications, HVDC technologies are of high interest. This panel will address the transmission design problem for the US East Coast, focusing on HVDC backbone topologies, converter technologies, protection, the need for standardization, integration with offshore wind farms and the onshore network, and federal, state, and local policies necessary to support this development.