science
California Port Advances Offshore Wind Terminal Plan
The Port of Long Beach is developing a 400-acre terminal for assembling floating offshore wind turbines. State officials continue work on port infrastructure and grid connections while federal lease holders receive payments to exit projects.
May 24, 6:00 AM·1m read1 source
Los Angeles TimesAudio version
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The Port of Long Beach is constructing a 400-acre terminal to assemble and store floating offshore wind turbines for deployment in federal waters off Morro and Humboldt bays. The project, called Pier Wind, will require a dredge-and-fill operation to create the necessary land area.
California aims to reach 25 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2045. The port is one of two sites designated for assembly work, alongside Humboldt Harbor near Eureka.
The Trump administration has canceled $500 million in funding for port preparations in Humboldt and reached agreements paying nearly $2 billion to companies holding federal offshore wind leases to shift investment to oil and gas projects. One such agreement involved Golden State Wind, which held a lease off California.
The California Energy Commission issued a subpoena seeking details on the payout to Golden State Wind. State officials stated they are proceeding with actions within their jurisdiction while awaiting changes in federal policy.
Suzanne Plezia, managing director of engineering services at the Port of Long Beach, said the infrastructure work has a long lead time and is scheduled for completion within a decade. The port recently received a $20 million grant from the California Energy Commission for the project.
The turbines would stand as tall as the Eiffel Tower and generate 20 to 25 megawatts each. Once assembled, they would be towed to lease areas between 1,600 and 4,200 feet deep. California has not met its 2030 target of 2 to 5 gigawatts. The latest draft state budget defers the remaining $241 million of a $475 million Proposition 4 allocation to a future year.
