New bill could bring offshore wind power to coast of Humboldt County
EUREKA, CA — Developers of a proposed local project and the area’s Community Choice Aggregator say new legislation just signed into law on Thursday by Governor Gavin Newsom will significantly advance the development of an offshore wind power industry on the West Coast, including Humboldt County.
AB-525 directs California state agencies to develop a strategic plan to facilitate the development of offshore wind on a large scale over the next two decades.
“This new law shows California is now fully committed to developing an offshore wind industry that can create local jobs, advance towards a carbon-free electric system, and address the threat of climate change,” said Tyler Studds, chief executive officer of Redwood Coast Offshore Wind.
Earlier this year, Newsom and the Biden administration announced they expect to hold an auction in 2022 for leases off both the Humboldt Coast and the Central Coast near Morro Bay. These areas combined could produce 4.6 GW of offshore wind energy and power 1.6 million California homes.
“This legislation and the support it received underscores the wisdom of RCEA engaging early to work toward the responsible development of our local offshore wind resource,” said Matthew Marshall, executive director of RCEA. “We are taking a community-based approach to developing Humboldt County’s offshore wind resource that prioritizes community values, protecting the environment, and developing strategies to avoid or mitigate impacts to the fishing community and local Tribes, while creating jobs and economic development.” ROW has already actively engaged a host of local stakeholders, including fisheries, labor, and Tribal governments to understand their concerns and explore solutions.
Deploying wind turbines offshore, where they will be placed on floating platforms so they can operate in deep water, will require significant investments and upgrades to the Port of Humboldt Bay that can also benefit other port users. The RCEA said that once the port is upgraded and as the industry develops, other parts of the offshore wind supply chain could locate facilities in Humboldt County and elsewhere in California.
In July, the Humboldt Bay Harbor and Recreation District submitted a grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation Port Infrastructure Development Program to fund the development of a Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind and Heavy Lift Marine Terminal.
