Offshore wind development along the south coast and Cape Cod region is advancing against the backdrop of an aging transmission system, growing electricity demand, and interconnection queues that have become a primary constraint on project delivery. The decisions being made today about regional transmission planning will determine whether the Commonwealth can reliably integrate new generation, control costs for ratepayers, and meet its statutory clean energy commitments. Municipal elected leaders and the communities they serve are increasingly being asked to weigh in on infrastructure questions without a clear picture of the planning processes and regulatory frameworks that shape them.
This installment of RENEW’s On the Line Webinar Series will examine the processes that govern regional transmission planning, the interconnection queue challenges facing New England’s grid, and recent case studies that illustrate how these dynamics shape project siting and delivery. The presentation is intended for municipal elected officials and members of the general public who want a clearer understanding of how transmission infrastructure decisions are made and what those decisions mean for their communities.