BP axes transmission link for 2.5GW Beacon Wind to New York amid Trump turmoil
Oil supermajor took over the project following split with former partner Equinor last year but that it remains ongoing despite Trump attack
“Beacon Wind hereby withdraws its Article VII Application effective as of this date, without prejudice,” the law firm of Young and Sommer wrote in a filing to the state Public Service Commission (PSC) on Wednesday.
Article VII refers to the state environmental and public need permit for construction of transmission infrastructure.
“Since the project submitted its application and queue position, New York’s approach to offshore wind project interconnection has evolved in the direction of coordinated offshore transmission,” this representative added.
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (Nyserda), the energy transition overseer, requires projects bid into its procurements be "mesh ready" in anticipation of an at-sea grid.
Connecting multiple projects with an at-sea transmission network would require fewer coastal landings and points of interconnection (POI). It would also lead to efficiency and cost advantages, advocates say.
The developer confirmed that it likewise withdrew its position in New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)'s interconnection queue.
BP's representative said the firm supports “the Public Policy Transmission Need ("PPTN") project approach sponsored by NYISO which is designed to help reduce the cost of electricity delivery from offshore wind projects to the New York grid."
New York has some of the US' most ambitious emissions reductions and offshore wind mandates requiring 100% clean grid by 2040, powered partly by 9GW of offshore wind.
The PPTN aims to deliver some 4.7GW of clean offshore wind power to the Downstate region including New York City that heavily relies on fossil fuel generation.
Beacon's saga
Nyserda awarded Beacon Wind 1 an offtake contract for 1.2GW in the state’s Round 2 in 2019, half of the total capacity possible in the lease in the Massachusetts wind energy area.
Rising inflation and interest rates starting in 2022 rendered to the project’s contract unfinanceable, however.
With former partner Equinor, BP petitioned PSC for a rate adjustment that was rejected, leading to cancellation of the joint venture (JV)’s arrays, including the 1.2GW Empire Wind 2 and Beacon, in January 2024.
At the same time the JV split, with Equinor taking the Empire projects while BP assumed Beacon. The 810MW Empire Wind 1 was later re-awarded in state’s Round 4 along with Orsted’s 920MW Sunrise Wind at much higher rates.
Focus on fossils
President Donald Trump meanwhile has vowed to usher in an era of American "energy dominance" through fossil fuel extraction under the mantra, "drill baby drill".
Lead federal regulator Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had already paused review of Beacon's construction and operations plan (COP) in August last year until October 2025 to reflect new ownership that might lead to changes.
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