Port of Long Beach Secures $20 Million Grant for Massive Offshore Wind Terminal

The Port of Long Beach has been awarded $20 million by the California Energy Commission to develop Pier Wind, a proposed 400-acre terminal dedicated to assembling and deploying floating offshore wind turbines.

The funding, which comes from the agency’s Offshore Wind Energy Waterfront Facility Improvement Program through state bond funding, represents a major step forward for California’s renewable energy ambitions despite opposition from the Trump administration. The Port of Long Beach will match the grant with $11 million to complete engineering, environmental, business planning, and community outreach requirements needed to begin construction.

The proposed $4.7 billion facility aims to help California meet its goal of generating 25 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2045, enough to power 25 million homes statewide.

“Our Pier Wind project will ensure California’s offshore wind energy goals are achieved,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “We thank the California Energy Commission for funding the Pier Wind project, which will enhance the nation’s energy independence and strengthen the electric grid to support electrification investments across the supply chain.”

When completed, Pier Wind would facilitate the assembly of some of the world’s largest offshore wind turbines, which would stand as tall as the Eiffel Tower. These fully assembled turbines would be towed by sea from Long Beach to wind lease areas located 20 to 30 miles off the coast in Central and Northern California.

The grant funding was made possible by Proposition 4, a climate bond measure approved by California voters in 2024, which allocated $475 million for port infrastructure projects related to offshore wind development. Port officials have indicated they will pursue additional funding from this source as it becomes available.

Construction on the facility could begin as early as 2027, with the first 200 acres expected to be operational by 2031 and the remaining 200 acres by 2035. A preliminary economic impact report projects that Pier Wind could create more than 6,000 jobs and generate $8 billion in labor income, $14.5 billion in economic output, and $1.3 billion in state and local taxes by 2045.

The project has received legislative support as well. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year to streamline the design and development process by allowing the Port of Long Beach to use alternative construction delivery methods. Additionally, the California Energy Commission adopted a final strategic plan for offshore wind energy developments that specifically references the need to prioritize seaports like Long Beach for assembly and staging sites.

In December 2024, the Port of Long Beach entered into a memorandum of understanding with the California State Lands Commission and the Port of Humboldt to collaborate on permitting, community engagement, environmental justice, clean energy strategies, and Native American Tribal consultation to advance a multiport strategy for offshore wind deployment.

This funding announcement comes amid significant federal policy shifts in offshore wind development as the Trump Administration has all but indefinitely suspended the federal permitting process and targeted projects already under construction with federal stop-work orders—move that could significantly impact states’ investments. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently rescinded all designated Wind Energy Areas on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, effectively ending the federal designation of more than 3.5 million acres previously targeted for offshore wind development, aligning with a January 20, 2025 executive order targeting the sector.

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