“This announcement represents a significant step in facilitating the responsible development of offshore renewable energy to help California meet its energy needs,” said BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper in a written statement.
“We are working closely with the State of California, industry and a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that planning for future commercial wind leasing is done in a transparent manner that engages stakeholders throughout the process,” Hopper said.
In consultation with the State of California, BOEM has determined Trident Winds LLC is qualified to hold an Outer Continental Shelf lease and now must determine whether it is appropriate to issue the company a lease on a non-competitive basis, or whether a competitive process is required.
The proposed project would consist of 100 floating foundations, each supporting a wind turbine generating 7-8 MW of energy. A single transmission cable would bring the electricity to shore. The proposed lease area, about 33 nautical miles northwest of Morro Bay, covers 67,963 acres of federal lands in water depths of 2,600-3,300 feet.
“This is a compelling opportunity that would assist California in meeting its ambitious and critically important renewable energy goals,” Hopper said. “We will continue our work with public and private stakeholders to create a path forward for sustainable energy development in the right places with the lowest conflicts offshore the Golden State.”
If there is competitive interest, BOEM will initiate the competitive leasing process. If no expressions of interest are received, BOEM will proceed with the noncompetitive leasing process.
The agency is also seeking public comment on the project proposal, its potential environmental consequences, and the use of the area in which the proposed project would be located.
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, areas off the U.S. west coast and Hawaii could generate 1.5 terawatts of offshore wind energy, enough to power more than 500 million homes.
The agency is accepting comments online at http://www.boem.gov/Public-Engagement-Opportunities/. Click on the "Open Comment Documents" link and follow instructions to view documents and submit comments.
Written comments should be sent to:
Jean Thurston
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Pacific OCS Region, Office of Strategic Resources
760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 102
Camarillo, California 93010
BOEM received the unsolicited request for a commercial wind lease from Trident Winds, LLC on January 14, 2016. A public copy of the lease request can be viewed here.
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