The US state of California is planning to commit $20m (€16m) of its 2021-2022 budget to help the development of offshore wind.
The proposed funds, which need to be approved by the state legislature, will enable California to engage with key stakeholders, accelerate permitting for projects and upgrade port infrastructure, according to trade group Offshore Wind California (OWC).
“This is an important investment and sign of things to come for Golden State workers and its nascent offshore wind industry,” OWC executive director Adam Stern said.
Stern also said he was encouraged by a statement by California Governor Gavin Newsom that offshore wind siting negotiations with the US Secretaries of the Interior and Defense are progressing and that a joint announcement would be made soon.
“Offshore wind will be a key contributor to help California support a clean energy economy by delivering gigawatts of competitively priced power and thousands of family-wage union jobs, while protecting marine and coastal resources,” Stern added.
“California can build a thriving new industry with thousands of high-skilled jobs and deliver a minimum of 10GW of renewable offshore wind energy by 2040, enough to provide electricity for at least 7.5 million California homes,” he said.