A Reference Floating HVDC Substation Design for California

The California Energy Commission is overseeing project EPC-25-035, titled A Reference Floating HVDC Substation Design for California, which aims to develop a reference floating high voltage direct current substation design for the state's floating offshore wind farms. The primary objectives are to lower ratepayer costs for transmission, enhance electrical efficiency, and support grid stability and reliability. This initiative utilizes an open-source design process to evaluate and identify the optimal configuration for critical subsystems, including electrical equipment, platform structures, power cables, and mooring lines. The scope of work is limited to research, paper design, and digital modeling, with activities conducted at a national laboratory facility in Colorado, commercial office buildings, and university campus buildings in California. Because the project is restricted to feasibility and planning studies, it does not include any in-ocean-water testing, geotechnical drilling, or environmental sampling of water and biota. Consequently, the project has been granted a California Environmental Quality Act Notice of Exemption due to its negligible environmental impact. The project is managed by Nathan Lubega of the California Energy Commission and involves collaboration with the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.