Offshore Wind Update for the West Coast
California Offshore Wind Status
Offshore Wind Lease Activities. In December 2022, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held a lease sale resulting in 5 lessees with winning bids: three in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area (WEA) and two in the Humboldt WEA. With leases issued in June 2023, the lessees are now required to engage with Tribes, ocean users, and local communities. Next steps involve preparation of a Site Assessment Plan (defining their survey plans). Concurrently, the California Energy Commission (CEC) is preparing the Offshore Wind Strategic Plan in consultation with their state sister-agencies. In addition, the CEC has initiated tribal outreach on behalf of the state and the CEC has initiated outreach to the fisheries communities.
As shown in the federal permitting agencies’ timeline below, after conducting surveys and other site assessment plans – a phase likely to take as long as 5 years – each lessee will submit a Construction and Operation Plan (COP) for BOEM review. Specific information on California offshore wind activities is available here.
BOEM Preparing PEIS. BOEM is working on a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to “describe the potential impacts of federal offshore wind energy development activities off the coast of California, as well as the change in those impacts that could result from adopting programmatic mitigation measures.” Public scoping meetings will be held in early February 2024. Details on the BOEM PEIS is available here.
New California Laws
Senate Bill (SB) 286 (McGuire), Offshore Wind Energy Projects. This bill defines a process for a obtaining a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission (CCC) or a local government with a certified local coastal program. It also defines the California State Lands Commission (CSLC) as the lead agency pursuant to CEQA for offshore wind energy projects. In addition, the bill established the California Offshore Wind Energy Fisheries Working Group, for the purpose of “… developing a statewide strategy for ensuring that offshore wind energy projects avoid and minimize impacts to ocean fisheries to the maximum extent possible, avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts to fishing and fisheries in a manner that prioritizes fishery productivity, viability, and long-term resilience, and fairly and reasonably compensate persons engaged in the commercial and recreational fishing industries and tribal fisheries for economic impacts to ocean fisheries resulting from offshore wind energy projects.”
Assembly Bill (AB) 3 (Zbur), Offshore Wind Energy: Reports. This bill focuses on seaport readiness. It would require the California Energy Commission (CEC), in consultation with the State Lands Commission, other specified state entities, and the California Coastal Commission, to follow up from AB 525, and develop a 2nd-phase plan and strategy for seaport readiness that builds upon the recommendations and alternatives in the strategic plan for offshore wind energy developments, as specified. The bill would require the commission to submit a report on its recommendations for a seaport readiness strategy to the Governor and the Legislature on or before December 31, 2026.
AB 1373 (Garcia), Energy. This bill would require, as part of the 2025 edition of the integrated energy policy report, the CEC, in consultation with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), to assess barriers to electricity interconnection and energization and provide recommendations on how to accelerate those processes, as appropriate. Further, the bill would require the CPUC, on or before September 1, 2024, to determine if there is a need for the procurement of eligible energy resources, would require the CPUC to specify the eligible energy resources that should be procured to meet that need, and would authorize the CPUC, within 6 months of making that determination, to request the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to procure those specified resources that meet the portfolio of resources, as specified. The bill would authorize DWR to procure those resources pursuant to that request only before January 1, 2035.
BOEM Considers Offshore Wind Lease Sale in Oregon
BOEM is evaluating two potential wind energy areas (WEAs): one offshore of Brookings (just north of the California border) and one offshore of Coos Bay. BOEM has been holding meetings with the Oregon Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force and with Fishing interests. BOEM accepted comments on the WEAs through October 31, 2023. BOEM is now evaluating comments and considering next steps towards a possible lease sale.
Oregon offshore wind information is available here.