The California State Lands Commission has partnered with the ports of Long Beach and Humboldt in a groundbreaking agreement to accelerate floating offshore wind energy development along the California coast.
The collaboration focuses on developing critical port infrastructure for turbine assembly, with installations planned 20-30 miles offshore of Humboldt County and Morro Bay. This initiative supports California’s ambitious goal of achieving 100% renewable energy by 2045, with offshore wind contributing up to 25 gigawatts.
“This agreement is a monumental step forward in California’s clean energy journey,” said Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, highlighting the state’s commitment to sustainable and equitable development.
Pier Wind renderings. Photo courtesy Port of Long Beach
Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero emphasized the economic impact, noting that the agreement, combined with recent climate bond approval and the state’s commitment to 7.6 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035, will “create thousands of good-paying jobs”.
California’s offshore wind industry gained significant momentum following BOEM’s December 2022 offshore wind lease auction, which raised over $757 million for five lease areas off California’s coast. However, the future of the industry faces potential challenges with the incoming Trump administration, which has expressed opposition to offshore wind development.
The comprehensive framework includes provisions for transmission, workforce development, manufacturing, and supply chain considerations, while emphasizing environmental protection and engagement with Native American tribes and local communities.
In 2023, the Port of Long Beach announced plans for Pier Wind, a giant floating offshore wind facility designed to help California and the nation achieve renewable energy goals. The facility is planned as the largest of its kind in the U.S., enabling fully assembled floating turbines to be towed by sea.
The $4.7 billion project, spanning up to 400 acres within the Harbor District southwest of the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge, is slated to begin in January 2027, with the first 100 acres operational in early 2031, the second 100 acres operational in late 2031, and the last 200 acres coming online in 2035.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned the International Bank of Yemen Y.S.C. (IBY) for providing financial support to the Iran-backed Houthi group....
The U.S. Trade Representative's office will announce its plan on Thursday for levying port fees on China-linked ships as part of President Donald Trump's effort to revive domestic shipbuilding and counter China's dominance on the high seas.
Venture Global announced a significant advancement in U.S. LNG infrastructure with the commencement of commercial operations at its Calcasieu Pass export facility in Louisiana. The project, completed in an impressive...
23 hours ago
Total Views: 697
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 109,190 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 109,190 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.