Good Afternoon Partners,
Happy New Year! Here is your newsletter on offshore wind and related interests:
Upcoming opportunities for leadership and learning:
- Humboldt Bay Harbor District Board of Commissioners Meeting
- 6:00 pm, January 8, 2025
- Woodley Island Marina Meeting Room, 601 Startare Drive, Eureka, CA 95501
- Item 11a. Receive Status Update Regarding the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal Project (pages 15-31)
- The January staff report (item 11a) focuses largely on potential approaches to Community Benefits for the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal Project. It defines community benefits and explains mechanisms for achieving them, how they relate to the terminal project, what types of benefits are being considered, and how the District may structure a long‑term program to distribute benefits to Tribes, fishermen, mariculture operators, nearby residents, and recreational users.
- We encourage you to participate in the meeting and share what is important to you about how the District approaches its role in securing benefits and protections as part of the Wind Terminal Project.
- This is an important and ongoing conversation for the District to have and we appreciate this discussion taking place at the Board of Commissioners, particularly with the breadth of ways District staff has laid out mechanisms for achieving benefits and protections.
- For some time, the Community Benefit Network has encouraged the District to support community agreements between the eventual developer, operator, and a cross section of interested and affected parties from the community, as well as Tribal agreements. The Network has also encouraged the District to weave protections and benefits into other legally binding and enforceable documents such as lease agreements and agency policy.
- Webinar: The Future of Transmission
- Oceantic, January 13, 2026, 8:00-9:00am
- Join industry experts for an exclusive preview of the critical transmission topics shaping the future of large-scale offshore energy and the U.S. grid. This webinar will present recent findings and recommendations on pathways for standardizing offshore transmission, critical steps toward building a harmonized and interoperable offshore grid.
- In person: Coastal Community Perspectives on Offshore Wind: A Discussion of Emerging Themes
- Wednesday, January 14, from 5:30–7:30 pm (presentation will begin promptly at 5:30 pm; doors will open at 5:10 pm)
- Wharfinger Building, located at 1 Marina Way Eureka, CA 95501
- Researchers from Oregon State University, Schatz Energy Research Center, and several partner institutions have spent the past two years studying how people in West Coast port towns think about offshore wind development. Their work focuses on Humboldt Bay, Coos Bay in Oregon, and Westport in Washington. The study explores how residents feel about offshore wind, what interests or concerns they have, how those views differ within and across communities, and whether people are participating in early community benefit agreement discussions. It also examines whether locals have access to clear and up‑to‑date information about proposed wind projects and opportunities in their area.
- This event is free and open to the public; pizza and drinks will be provided while supplies last.
- Please note that the discussion will not be filmed or live streamed, although a summary of findings will be available in mid-2026. For questions or accessibility requests, contact schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or call 707-826-4345.
- Webinar: Labor Unions and Offshore Wind 101 Part 2: Project Labor Agreements
- Clean Energy States Alliance, January 15, 2026 10:00 AM
- This webinar will explore the role that Project Labor Agreements play in the planning and construction of offshore wind projects. Presenters will discuss how PLAs are negotiated, typical PLA terms and structures, and how PLAs can promote the equitable development of offshore wind projects.
- Community Forum to Oppose Offshore Oil Drilling, Featuring Rep. Huffman (eventbrite link)
- Wharfinger Building and Eureka Public Marina, January 18, 10:00-12:00pm
- Join Humboldt Waterkeeper, Surfrider Foundation, and the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) for an in-person community forum against offshore oil drilling. This event features Representative Huffman, Assembly Member Connolly, and Assembly Member Rogers who will share insights and lead the charge for change. It’s a great chance to connect, raise your voice, and make a difference.
- Port Development in Practice: Virtual Follow-Up with Rob Holmlund information and registration
- Hosted by Oregon and California Seagrant, January 22, 2026, 10:00 AM
- Oregon and California Sea Grant hosted an in-person panel in Coos Bay: Port Development in Practice: Perspectives from Humboldt Bay (link to meeting notes) This event explored community perspectives and lessons from Humboldt’s ongoing experience planning for a large-scale floating offshore wind port facility.
- This conversation will continue with a follow up session January 22. This session will feature panelist Rob Holmlund, Director of Development for the Humboldt Bay Harbor District. Rob will revisit key themes from his November presentation on the proposed Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal and expand on topics relevant to Oregon audiences.
Resources, Information and Academic Articles:
- 2025 IN REVIEW: Federal Impacts to Offshore Wind
- National Wildlife Federation, December 22, 2025
- This 2025 StoryMap is a high-level overview that walks through the major federal actions taken by the Trump Administration related to offshore wind projects, and explains how those decisions affected states, developers, workers, and the broader renewable‑energy transition.
- California Offshore Wind Fact Sheet
- Resource by Offshore Wind California, October 2025
- Summary of offshore wind milestones broken down month by month from 2024-2025.
- Resource Revenue-Sharing Agreements
- Resources for the Future, November 24, 2025
- This paper analyzes how British Columbia and Ontario structure their resource revenue-sharing agreements with First Nations and identifies considerations to support other provinces in drafting new agreements.
In the news:
- On December 22, 2025 the Trump Administration announced the suspension of federal leases for five large offshore wind farms that were already under construction along the East Coast. Reporting:
- Politico, December 22, 2025
- The pause on five major offshore wind projects has intensified political battles over rising electricity prices and permitting reform, with analysts warning that halting construction could worsen power costs and strain grid reliability just as demand surges from data centers. The Coastal Virginia project, strongly backed by both Republican and Democratic officials, was expected to supply significant new capacity, while New England leaders said delays to Vineyard Wind and Revolution Wind would increase winter reliability risks and economic pressures. The move has also derailed bipartisan negotiations on a federal permitting overhaul, as Senate Democrats halted talks based on concerns that renewable energy project permitting is being unlawfully targeted.
- The Trump Administration suspends all large offshore wind farms under construction, threatening thousands of jobs and cheaper energy
- CNN, December 22, 2025
- The Trump administration has suspended federal leases for five Atlantic offshore wind projects under construction, citing classified national security concerns related to radar interference, a move that threatens billions of dollars in investment and nearly six gigawatts of future electricity generation. The five Atlantic projects are intended to help meet soaring energy demand from data centers and reduce high regional electricity costs. Officials have not provided specific evidence of new security risks, prompting criticism from lawmakers, clean‑energy groups, and even some fossil‑fuel‑aligned organizations, who argue the decision is politically motivated and will raise energy prices, kill jobs, and undermine grid reliability. Supporters of offshore wind note that the Defense Department has previously approved these projects and that radar concerns can be mitigated, while opponents of the pause warn that halting construction on nearly completed projects will worsen energy shortages in New England and the mid‑Atlantic.
- SMUD’s controversial Coyote Creek solar project moves forward
- Capradio, November 19, 2025
- The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s large Coyote Creek solar project, a plan to develop more than a thousand acres in southeastern Sacramento County, despite intense public debate from over 150 attendees. Supporters argued the 200‑megawatt project would create jobs and help the utility meet its clean‑energy goals, while opponents warned it would destroy sensitive habitat and require cutting nearly 4,000 ecologically important oak trees. Several supervisors described the decision as difficult but ultimately concluded that the need to reduce carbon emissions and expand renewable energy outweighed the environmental trade‑offs.
Please reach out with your thoughts and questions. Thank you from the CORE Hub Team!
