The New York State Public Service Commission has terminated its offshore wind transmission planning process, citing stalled federal permitting as a key barrier to progress and a need to protect consumers from premature infrastructure costs.
The decision ends the state’s Public Policy Transmission Need (PPTN) process, launched in 2023 to identify and develop coordinated transmission infrastructure capable of delivering up to 8 gigawatts of offshore wind energy into New York City by 2033.
Commission officials said the pause is a strategic response to current federal uncertainty, rather than a shift in policy.
“One of our most important tasks is to protect consumers,” said Commission Chair Rory Christian. “Given the uncertainty coming out of Washington regarding offshore wind, we must act to protect consumers by withdrawing our PPTN determination; but this is far from the end of the story.”
The Commission added that existing offshore wind projects already permitted in New York, including Empire Wind and South Fork, will not be affected by the decision.
The transmission planning process had been referred to the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) to solicit and evaluate competing proposals for infrastructure that would support the state’s offshore wind targets. However, the Commission said that recent federal moves to pause leasing and permitting of new offshore wind platforms have undermined the feasibility of advancing such projects in the near term.
“This decision is about timing and protecting ratepayers,” the Commission said in a statement, emphasizing that it aims to maintain flexibility so that planning can resume quickly when federal conditions improve.
New York remains committed to its offshore wind development goals, but officials said current circumstances make it impractical to continue planning large-scale transmission infrastructure without federal support for new generation projects.
The Commission said it will revisit offshore wind transmission needs once federal permitting and leasing activities resume.
