Meeting California and Oregon’s offshore wind targets will necessitate upgrades to US west coast port and transmission infrastructure, alongside growing the region’s supply chain capabilities, according to a new report.
Oceantic Network’s white paper, Suppliers’ Guide to Success: Smart Scaling for the US West Coast Floating Wind Market, analyses the requirements for a full build-out of floating offshore wind on the west coast and proposes solutions to industry and government that will allow the sector to flourish.
The paper covers several key actions west coast policymakers can take to ensure the region can become a global leader in floating offshore wind.
These are prioritising investments in port and transmission infrastructure, structuring offtake awards in a way that emphasises project deliverability and establishing a steady, and long-term procurement schedule for offshore wind power.
“West Coast states have led the charge in protecting the environment and decarbonizing their economies,” said John Begala, vice president of federal and state policy at Oceantic Network.
“Now, those same states have the chance to become leaders in a new, global renewable energy industry with floating offshore wind.
“Policymakers must take advantage of this opportunity, which will bring jobs and economic development to the region while providing much-needed clean energy for the future.”
The paper condenses lessons learned from offshore wind policy regimes on the east coast and around the world with the goal of avoiding unnecessary pitfalls for West Coast offshore wind deployment. It also details the current market landscape that underpins the region’s opportunity and the work already done to get the industry where it is.
“We applaud the key state and federal policymakers who have gotten the industry to this point, and we welcome an opportunity to share our collective experience moving forward,” Begala added.
“Together we can make the West Coast a leader in floating wind and build this exciting new sector.”
The Suppliers’ Guide to Success was produced with the help of the Network’s West Coast Supplier Council, a group of companies focused on the unique needs and development of the region’s offshore wind sector and its supply chain.
Members of the West Coast Supplier Council are Aker Solutions, Burns & McDonnell, Crowley Wind Services, EEW AOS, Foss Offshore Wind, Hellenic Cables, Hitachi Energy, Manson Construction, Nexans, Principle Power and Vestas.