The California Energy Commission on July 10 approved an offshore wind strategic plan that details how the state can reach its goals of 5 GW of offshore wind power by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045. 

The commission voted 3-0 to approve the plan, with Chair David Hochschild and Commissioner Andrew McAllister absent. 

Although the plan was more than two years in the making, Commissioner Patty Monahan called it a starting point. 

“This needs to be a living document,” Monahan said before the vote. “We’re going to learn a lot about offshore wind. There’s a lot of uncertainties on the environmental impacts, and we need to be clear-eyed and engage the right scientific interests to make sure we are carefully moving forward, attentive to reducing the environmental impacts as much as we can.” 

The CEC called the plan’s approval a major step for the state toward reaching its 100% clean electricity goals. Offshore wind is one of the largest untapped sources of renewable energy in the state, the agency said. 

Assembly Bill 525 of 2021 directed the CEC to develop the strategic plan. The plan contains recommendations related to transmission infrastructure, port development, permitting and workforce development. It addresses impacts to marine life, fisheries, Native American tribes and the U.S. Department of Defense. 

A draft version of the plan was released in January. (See Draft Plan Outlines California Vision for Offshore Wind.) 

The commission had been slated to vote on a final version of the plan June 26. But commissioners agreed to postpone the vote so the public would have more time to review the final plan, which had been released less than a day earlier (See CEC Delays Vote on California OSW Plan.) 

Alexis Sutterman, a senior policy manager with Brightline Defense, an environmental justice organization, called the plan “an important step forward in catalyzing offshore wind.” 

“If California does not take action on offshore wind, we’re greatly concerned that we would see prolonged reliance on fossil fuel energy and perpetuate toxic pollution in environmental justice communities,” Sutterman told commissioners. 

Sutterman said Brightline appreciates the plan’s emphasis on engagement with communities and tribes, enforceable community benefit agreements, and the prevention and reduction of pollution. 

Next Steps

With the approval of the offshore wind strategic plan, CEC staff has already started work on additional reports. 

Last year’s Assembly Bill 3 by Assemblyman Rick Zbur (D) requires the CEC to develop a seaport readiness strategy for offshore wind that’s due Dec. 31, 2026.  

Described as a “second-phase plan,” the report will identify feasible seaports for turbine assembly to serve Central Coast and North Coast offshore wind projects. It will evaluate infrastructure investments needed to develop the seaports and prioritize sites that maximize in-state workforce opportunities and minimize impacts to cultural and natural resources. 

Elizabeth Huber, director of CEC’s siting, transmission and environmental protection division, said the agency is already planning workshops and town hall meetings on the topic. 

Previous studies have looked at the need for transmission infrastructure to support offshore wind. Huber said another study will look at the use of long-duration energy storage of the wind energy as it comes onshore. 

AB 3 also requires a report on the feasibility of manufacturing and assembling 50 or 65% of California offshore wind projects in-state. That report is due Dec. 31, 2027.