Full Title: Envisioning Offshore Wind for California
Author(s): Jordan Diamond, Katie Segal
Publisher(s): Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE)
Publication Date: June 20, 2021
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
On May 25, 2021, the Biden Administration and the State of California jointly announced their intent to advance floating offshore wind in two locations along California’s coast—a 399 square mile area located offshore of Morro Bay and an area offshore of Humboldt—with lease auctions expected in 2022. This followed on the heels of a federal announcement in late March establishing a nationwide offshore wind energy target of 30 GW by 2030. Offshore wind could become an essential piece of California’s renewable energy puzzle while delivering on multiple statewide goals, from tackling climate change and addressing environmental justice to building a just transition and unlocking new economic opportunities. But none of these desirable goals can happen without a robust and far-sighted planning process that includes Californians’ diverse interests.
CLEE’s new report, Envisioning Offshore Wind for California, provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities. The report suggests priority actions to ensure a comprehensive, strategic approach to this new-to-California industry. It builds from input provided during two workshops from a wide range of participants, including local governments, non-profit organizations, labor representatives, fishermen, renewable energy developers, and more. CLEE convened these workshops with the intent of catalyzing broad and open conversations around OSW and determining potential pathways for future state action.