Dive Brief:
- Leasing nearly 241,000 acres for wind farms off the central coast of California wouldn’t significantly affect the environment, according to an assessment released Wednesday by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
- The potential leases near San Luis Obispo County could support about 3,000 MW of offshore wind, BOEM said.
- If BOEM conducts a lease auction in the Morro Bay wind energy area, before authorizing wind farm construction the agency said it will produce an environmental impact statement to assess specific effects from any proposed project.
Dive Insight:
The issuance of the environmental assessment is another step forward in possible wind farm development off the West Coast, an area where floating wind turbines will be the main option for offshore wind because of the depth of the water.
The move comes weeks after the Biden administration launched a floating wind turbine initiative that includes leasing enough deep-water acreage to support 15 GW of floating offshore wind capacity by 2035.
The California Energy Commission in August approved planning goals of up to 5,000 MW by 2030 and 25,000 MW by 2045 for offshore wind development.
“The completion of our environmental review is an important step forward to advance clean energy development in a responsible manner while promoting economic vitality and well-paying union jobs in central California,” BOEM Director Amanda Lefton said in a statement.
BOEM will continue to work with tribes, state and federal partners, and key stakeholders to make sure wind farm developers avoid or minimize their projects’ effects on the ocean and region, according to Lefton.
At least 23 companies are qualified to bid in any West Coast offshore auctions, including Algonquin Power Fund, Avangrid Renewables, Equinor Wind US, Orsted North America and Shell New Energies US, according to a proposed sale notice published in the Federal Register in May.
