The US power system is entering a period of increasing reliability and affordability pressure driven by rapid load growth, infrastructure constraints, and evolving resource mixes. In this three-part series, Oliver Stover, Jesse Dakss, and Dean Koujak evaluate the role offshore wind (OSW) can play in addressing these emerging challenges across major US electricity markets.
Using resource adequacy modeling, integrated portfolio analysis, and case studies, the research finds that OSW can provide meaningful reliability and system value—particularly in regions facing winter reliability risk and coastal infrastructure constraints. The analysis shows that while OSW is not a substitute for broader energy infrastructure investment, it can complement other resources, including natural gas, by diversifying fuel supply, delivering generation directly into constrained load centers, supporting grid reliability during high-risk operating periods, and providing synergistic generation profiles.
The findings highlight the importance of evaluating new generation resources within integrated planning frameworks that consider reliability, cost, emissions, and infrastructure feasibility. Overall, OSW represents a potential pathway for delivering net new energy and capacity as electricity demand continues to grow, though its value depends on system-wide interactions and the continued maturation and cost reductions of the domestic OSW industry.
