Offshore Wind
- Goal: To support responsible offshore renewable energy production along the California Coast that is sited and designed to minimize impacts to the coastal and marine environment
- Year Started: 2016
For years, EDC has worked to help lead the push for California to transition to clean, renewable offshore energy. In 2016, the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (“BOEM”) received an unsolicited request for a commercial lease for a floating offshore wind farm approximately 25 nautical miles off the coast of Morro Bay. At that time, EDC began our engagement in the BOEM/California Energy Commission (“CEC”) planning process for offshore wind along the coast of California. We have maintained a re-occurring meeting with other policy and science driven partners to engage on offshore wind over the years. With our partners we have participated in multi-agency task force meetings, planning meetings with agencies and developers, and submitted comments throughout the planning process.
The change in the federal administration has introduced uncertainty around foundational environmental protections like California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), while also causing staff firings and decreased federal agency participation in stakeholder processes. Recent federal actions regarding lease buybacks have also impacted OSW efforts, though California has signaled intent to sue over the lease buy backs (RWE Offshore Wind, Invenergy, Golden State Wind). Offshore wind is an industry already marked by scientific and regulatory uncertainty; these threats have created additional barriers to steady progress.
EDC is also closely monitoring CADEMO, the remaining state project that is in the newly designated Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary to ensure compliance with the designation.
RESOURCES:
- EDC’s FAQs on Offshore Wind along the Central Coast
- FAQs on Offshore Wind along the Central Coast
- Monterey Bay Aquarium FAQs
- Tethys Database on Wind Energy and the Environment
- Synthesis of Environmental Effect Research (SEER)
- FAQs for Offshore Wind along the North Coast
- CMSF Environmental Monitoring Guidance Project
- Special Initiative for Offshore Wind
- Offshore Wind Impact to Whales
- EDC webinar: Offshore Wind on the Central Coast
