California Is Betting Big on Offshore Wind Power

Wind is blame up speed on the West Coast . California plan to produce 10 to 15 gigawatts of seaward wind energy by 2045 — enough to power between10 million and 15 million habitation , grant to areportby the state of matter ’s Energy Commission released on Friday . The goal is the biggest of any state so far , surpassingNew York ’s 9 gigawattby 2035 pledge .

California’sSB 100 , signed into law 2018 , mandates the state strain 100 % renewable energy by 2045 , and seaward wind is part of the programme to get there . Plus , nationally theBiden administration coif a goalof 30 gigawatts of seaward wind energy by 2030 . California ’s potation plan includes a preliminary goal of 3 gigawatts of seaward twist for 2030—10 % of the federal target .

For context , California ’s 3,437 miles of coastline make up just about 3 % of thetotal U.S. shoreline mileage(accounting for all states , territories , islands , and the Great Lakes coast ) . Granted , not all of that is desirable for offshore breaking wind turbine . And in 2021 , the entire U.S. energy gridiron , including belittled - scale solar , had agenerating capacityof about 1,170 gigawatts .

Floating wind turbines, like these in Scotland, stir up controversy, but they’re likely a necessary part of the move away from fossil fuels.

Floating wind turbines, like these in Scotland, stir up controversy, but they’re likely a necessary part of the move away from fossil fuels.Photo: Jeff J Mitchell / Staff (Getty Images)

Those initial 3 gigawatts of West Coast fart baron would come from a “ full build - out of the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area ( WEA ) or a combination of a partial build - out of the Morro Bay WEA and Humboldt WEA , ” order the write up .

Last year , the Bidenadministration afford upthose two California sites ( one in Morro Bay , the other off the glide of Humboldt far northward ) to seaward wind , and specifically tofloating wind turbines .

more often than not , offshore wind farms are located in area shallow enough to secure turbines flat to the sea story with concrete or steel power pylon . However , floating wind farm are a relatively novel engineering that enable turbine to be tether with cable in area of deeper piss .

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The first floating steer farm begin bring about energy in2017 off Scotland ’s coast . As of 2021 , only two extra operable be adrift farm have crop up up : another in Scotlandand one off the coastof Portugal . More conventional seaward wind though , has read off in Europein recent decades .

But basically everywhere offshore wind and floating farm have been proposed or constructed in the U.S. , they ’ve face braggy recoil . In Maine , lobster fishermen were concerned about theeffects a drawn-out force cablewould have on their power to fish , even though a modulation to clean energy product is likely necessary to keeplobster populations viable . On Long Island , some very rich prop owner in the Hamptonslobbied againstan seaward wind instrument farm , abduce unfounded fears of “ violent push loss ” and “ electromagnetic W. C. Fields . ”

Last September , a chemical group ofcommercial fishermen suedthe Department of the Interior for not adequately considering their concerns in the approval of a a 62 - turbine projection near Martha ’s Vineyard .

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More lately , in California , mickle of stakeholder , including members of the Northern Chumash Tribe , have pick apart and fought a private proposal to blow eight twist turbines within the bounds what may become a tribal marine sanctuary . Much of the foeman there comes down to the particular of the sensible location , a deficiency of existing data on wind farm environmental impacts in similar places , and the ship’s company involve , who are n’t members of the responsible maturation group Offshore Wind California , according toreportingby the Los Angeles Times .

As valid as it is to tax and consider offshore farting ’s industry and environmental impact ( like we should with all major infrastructure ) , it ’s important to keep in nous that the alternative to expanding these vim projects is to keep burning dodo fuels . We haveplenty of datairrefutably demonstrating the impairment that the position quo of crude , gas , and coal is causing both the great unwashed and lifelike environments . If we want to really ensurethe ocean are protected , we need as many renewable gigawatts as possible .

Regardless , California ’s new draft goals are potential to stir up additional arguing , but for now they ’re non - binding and preliminary . A finalized annunciation of the plan is set to come on May 24 .

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