Offshore wind on the Pacific coast
Planning and development of offshore wind (OSW) energy generation in United States waters has accelerated greatly as a result of Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, issued January 27, 2021, and a related Administration action to deploy 30 Gigawatts of OSW energy by 2030. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is the lead Federal agency responsible for offshore energy exploration and development in the U.S. and has embarked on an ambitious effort to identify areas suitable for OSW development, and to auction off the rights to develop specific areas. The Council has engaged closely with BOEM to identify and minimize any potential impacts to fishing activities, habitats (including essential fish habitat), and coastal communities. On the West Coast, BOEM has identified potential OSW areas off California and Oregon.
Offshore wind
Correspondence
- November 2023 letter to BOEM/Governor Kotek on PFMC comments on Draft Wind Energy Areas
- September 2023 letter to BOEM on extension for comment
- July 2023 letter to California Wind Energy Lease Holders
- April 2023 Letter to BOEM on Offshore Wind Process Recommendations
- April 2023 Letter to BOEM Oregon’s Offshore Wind Process
- March 2023 Letter to BOEM on Proposed Rule
- August 2022 letter to BOEM on California Proposed Sale Notice
- July 2022 letter to NMFS on NOAA Aquaculture Opportunity Areas
- July 2022 letter to USCG from DeFazio and Graves re: USCG perceived lack of involvement in BOEM activities
- June 2022 letter to BOEM from DeFazio and Wyden re: Oregon Call Areas
Upcoming events
(not hosted by the Council)
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Protected Areas Center and Open Communications for the Ocean are hosting a webinar, “Developing Offshore Wind in US Waters Part 1: The Planning and Regulatory Framework”, from 10:00-11:00am MDT (4:00-5:00pm UTC) on 19 July 2023. Register here.
- As part of its Learning from the Experts series, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is hosting a webinar, “Environmental Data Management and Offshore Wind”, from 1:00-2:00pm EDT (5:00-6:00pm UTC) on 19 July 2023. Register here.
In the news
- Working Together to Resolve Environmental Effects of Wind Energy (WREN) recently published a new Short Science Summary: The Mitigation Hierarchy on Tethys. The mitigation hierarchy is a widely used framework that includes avoidance, minimization, and compensation.
- The West Coast Ocean Alliance (WCOA) has released two Requests for Proposals to provide support for the WCOA Tribal Caucus Summit and WCOA Annual Summit in October 2023. Proposals are due 14 July 2023.
- Wind is accepting manuscript submissions for the Special Issue, “Wind Energy Planning by considering Social, Environmental, and Economic Issues”, through 31 July 2023.
- Life cycle assessment of a floating offshore wind farm in Italy – Brussa et al. 2023
- California Senate passes wave and tidal energy bill – reNEWS
- NOAA and the University of Rhode Island Sign Agreement to Explore Effects of Offshore Wind Energy Development – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- U.S. Department of Energy Announces New Actions to Accelerate U.S. Floating Offshore Wind Deployment
- BOEM published a Proposed Sale Notic for the Gulf of Mexico – GOM W 1 PSN (DTS 4587) (boem.gov)
- Panel discusses impact of offshore wind on West Coast fisheries | California | capitalpress.com
- Offshore wind requires funding boost for NOAA surveys, science centers, advocates say. National Fisherman March 17, 2023
- California’s Aging Electrical Infrastructure Presents Hurdle for Offshore Wind Development on the North Coast. Lost Coast Outpost.
- Pacific Council Says Rescind Oregon Offshore Wind Call Areas. Cannon Beach Gazette.
- Offshore Wind Energy Halt Urged by Native Americans. The largest lobbying group for Native Americans in the US demands Washington put offshore wind development on hold after complaints tribes have been cut out of the process. Bloomberg News.
- Addressing Misinformation on Offshore Wind Farms and Recent Whale Mortalities. U.S. Department of Energy.
Meeting Recordings
Previous Council Meeting
November Council meeting
Garden Grove, CA
Hyatt Regency Orange County 11999 Harbor Blvd. Garden Grove, CA 92840 Phone: 714-750-1234
Upcoming Council Meeting
March Council meeting
Various
The Council contracts with hotels two to three years in advance.
Events
Contacts
Kerry Griffin
503-820-2409
kerry.griffin@noaa.gov