The California Energy Commission (CEC) has adopted the state’s new goal of achieving 25GW offshore wind by 2045.
CEC has also aiming to bring 2-5GW of offshore wind through the planning system by 2030.
The CEC said California is home to some of the best offshore wind resources in the country, a power source that can play a major role in helping the state achieve 100% clean electricity and carbon neutrality.
Offshore wind will also complement solar generation in the state by providing generation at the end of the day and into the evening as the sun sets.
“These ambitious yet achievable goals are an important signal of how committed California is to bringing the offshore wind industry to our state,” said CEC Chair David Hochschild.
“This remarkable resource will generate clean electricity around the clock and help us transition away from fossil fuel-based energy as quickly as possible while ensuring grid reliability.”
The CEC developed the report in coordination with federal, state, and local agencies and stakeholders including Tribal governments, fisheries and other ocean users.
Liz Burdock, CEO and president of the Business Network for Offshore Wind, said the CEC’s approval of a robust Offshore Wind Planning goal of up to 25GW by 2045 also “marks a significant moment in the path to develop a national floating offshore wind industry”.
She said: “The long-term certainty of a 2045 goal will help build investor confidence and attract investments in ports, vessels, and offshore wind manufacturing facilities along the Pacific coast.”
The report is the first of several products the CEC must prepare to create a strategic plan for offshore wind energy development as required by Assembly Bill 525. It reflects the latest available research on technical potential.
“The success of our state’s climate goals requires all-hands-on deck and we are committed to ongoing consultation with other agencies and those most impacted by the scale-up needed to achieve 100 percent clean electricity,” said CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda.
CEC staff will next study the economic benefits of offshore wind in relation to seaport investments and workforce development needs.
Staff will also create a roadmap to develop a permitting process for offshore wind energy facilities and associated electricity and transmission infrastructure. The entire plan must be submitted to the Legislature by June 2023.
Plans for renovations to prepare for offshore wind activities are already underway at the Port of Humboldt Bay with $10.5m in funding approved by the CEC earlier this year.