The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has designated 376 square miles off the coast of central California as an area most suitable for wind energy development.
The Morro Bay Wind Energy Area (WEA) is part of the Biden administration’s goal to create 30 gigawatts of offshore power by 2030, according to a release by the White House. The plan is expected to create thousands of “good-paying, union jobs.”
“Offshore wind presents a significant opportunity for California and our nation as we transition to clean, renewable energy," BOEM Director Amanda Lefton said in a statement. "Today’s announcement represents significant progress towards that future. As the process continues, BOEM is committed to environmental reviews, which are critical for a strong resource management program, and to robust public engagement.”
The next step in the process is to prepare an environmental assessment of the area. The assessment will "consider potential impacts from site characterization activities (e.g., biological, archeological, geological, and geophysical surveys) and site assessment activities (e.g., installation of meteorological buoys) within the WEA," a BOEM press release said.
A part of the assessment is scoping, where BOEM seeks input from interested parties and the public to identify issues that should be addressed, according to the BOEM website. Virtual meetings will be held on December 1 and January 22.
The location was chosen for a variety of factors, but specifically due to the benefits of building wind technology in America’s Pacific Ocean, according to the White House.
“Because the outer continental shelf falls away much more quickly into much deeper waters in the Pacific than it does in the Atlantic Ocean, new floating offshore wind technology will be deployed in offshore California waters,” the White House said.
The agency is currently in the process of developing construction and operations plans for 16 other offshore wind projects, the BOEM said.
