In a major move toward a greener future, the Healey-Driscoll Administration joined forces with nine other Northeastern states, including New York, New Jersey and Maryland, to forge an agreement aimed at strengthening interregional cooperation in electrical transmission. Announced today, this memorandum of understanding (MOU) signals a united front to strengthen the reliability of the energy grid and integrate more renewable energy sources, particularly offshore wind.
“As we face the challenge of climate change, we know that we cannot address this threat as individual states,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper. Mass.gov. The spirit of collaboration echoed by the Healey-Driscoll administration, which submitted the request to the Department of Energy (DOE) last year, shows a growing recognition that collective action is critical to successfully moving toward cleaner energy solutions and balanced ecosystems.
Guided by the US DOE over the past year, the states have developed the structure and expected goals of the Northeast Interregional Transmission Partnership. This MoU positions the group to share vital information and work together to improve inter-regional transmission infrastructure. In this way, consumer prices could be reduced through increased access to cheaper energy sources and enhanced reliability during extreme weather events and system demands.
Additionally, the Collaborative seeks to create a strategic action plan to advance the advancement of interregional transmission projects for offshore wind, address industry barriers, and shape tangible solutions. Jason Marshall, EEA Under-Secretary for Federal and Territorial Energy Affairs, remarked: “Our collective planning now will ensure that we maximize investment in infrastructure that is fundamental to meeting the demands of the electricity system for decades to come,” according to with Mass.gov.
The agreement has also spurred action on federal funding applications. Two months earlier, New England states and New York sought federal assistance through the DOE's Grid Innovation Program to build the “Clean Resilience Link,” which would boost transmission capabilities between the two regions. This will potentially increase transmission capacity by as much as 1,000 MW, a critical upgrade to support growing renewable energy initiatives and ensure the delivery of clean and reliable power to the Northeastern United States.
