SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California has reached an agreement with the US Government to open up parts of the West Coast for offshore wind farming.
The first areas that could see windfarm development include a 399-square-mile area of the Central Coast, northwest of Morro Bay, and a separate area on the North Coast. More than 95% of the proposed areas are located 20 to 30 miles off the coast.
Those initial sites alone could sustain farms powerful enough to generate 4.6 gigawatts of energy – enough to power 1.6 million homes, according to the US Department of the Interior.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the agreement at a joint press conference with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl.
“Developing offshore wind to produce clean, renewable energy could be a game-changer to achieving California’s clean energy goals and addressing climate change – all while bolstering the economy and creating new jobs,” Newsom said.
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) plans to offer a lease sale for the central and north coast locations as early as 2022, officials said. Both of the initial locations were identified cooperatively by the Departments of the Interior and Defense and the State of California.
As part of the California Comeback Plan, Gov. Newsom has proposed roughly $20 million in funding to support California’s offshore wind capacity.
