A Reference Floating HVDC Substation Design for California

The project aims to develop an open-source reference design for a floating high-voltage direct current (HVDC) substation tailored to support California’s floating offshore wind farms, with the goal of reducing transmission costs, enhancing electrical efficiency, and strengthening grid stability and reliability. The work focuses exclusively on research, modeling, and design studies—no physical construction, field testing, or environmental sampling is involved. The design process will evaluate and optimize key subsystems including mooring lines, power cables, platform structure, and electrical equipment, all while accounting for California’s unique offshore environmental conditions. The deliverable is a comprehensive digital, model-based reference design that serves as a foundational blueprint for future implementation by industry and regulatory stakeholders. The project is administered by the California Energy Commission under solicitation EPC-25-035 and is being executed by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, with technical contributions from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other research facilities in California and Colorado. Environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has been exempted under categorical exemptions for existing facilities and information collection, as well as a statutory exemption for preliminary studies. No federal procurement clauses, funding identifiers, payment terms, or formal evaluation criteria are documented, indicating this is a research and planning grant rather than a traditional procurement. Performance will occur across multiple existing research and laboratory sites in California and Colorado, with no physical delivery required. Point of contact for the project is Nathan Lubega of the California Energy Commission, and no contract value, pricing, or delivery schedule has been disclosed. The design output will be publicly accessible to support widespread industry adoption and regulatory alignment for offshore wind development in the state.