Happy Summer!
Here is your newsletter on offshore wind and related interests.
Upcoming opportunities for leadership and learning:
- Webinar: Permitting for Offshore Wind Port Infrastructure Projects
- Date: July 10, 2:30 – 4:30 pm
- Registration
- The Pacific Offshore Wind Consortium (POWC) invites you to a webinar on permitting for port infrastructure to support offshore wind in California. From the Schatz Center: “For offshore wind energy projects to be developed in California, specialized port facilities—known as “staging and integration” sites—must be built to stage, assemble, and integrate massive floating offshore wind turbines before they are towed out to the designated offshore wind energy areas” The webinar will include a presentation of the key findings from Schatz’s recently published report Permitting for Port Infrastructure to Support Offshore Wind in California on permitting requirements for staging and integration sites, including those relating to Tribal consultation and public engagement. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with staff from the California State Lands Commission and California Coastal Commission to discuss each agency’s role in permitting these types of projects.
- Panelists:
- Moderator: Awbrey Yost, Senior Policy Analyst, Schatz Energy Research Center
- Amy Vierra, Renewable Energy Specialist, California State Lands Commission
- Catherine Mitchell, North Coast Harbor Analyst, California Coastal Commission
- Dani Ziff, South Coast District Supervisor, California Coastal Commission
- [OSW Port Readiness] AB 3. The CEC has initiated the public comment phase of AB 3’s Report on Seaport Readiness. This is the first of two reports, as mandated by AB 3. This first report will “address the seaport readiness requirements outlined in AB 3, including physical, environmental, tribal, equity, and interested party considerations necessary to evaluate and prepare California’s ports for offshore wind development.” The second report will focus on supply chain feasibility.
- CORE Hub & community partners are currently developing comments on this and will send out drafts for your consideration. The deadline to submit comments to the public docket was just extended to August 18th. Click here to access Docket.
Recent Events:
- 2025 Pacific Offshore Wind Summit took place May 19-21st in Sacramento.
- State officials, lawmakers, and industry representatives at this year’s Pacific Offshore Wind Summit indicated that California is positioned to advance its offshore wind plans despite federal uncertainty, with the hopes of delivering the jobs, economic benefits, and clean energy the state needs
- Video replays of all the panels and keynotes are now available online. Visit the OWC YouTube page.
- You can also see more 2025 Summit Highlights here, photos from the event here, and view the history of California Floating Offshore Wind panel exhibit here.
State and Federal Updates:
- California passes substantial CEQA Reform. As part of the state budget process, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two bills into law that will significantly alter the way the State conducts permitting. The effort is primarily directed towards streamlining infill housing development, but will have ramifications for various project areas. Key changes to the bedrock California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) include:
- Broader categorical exemptions for infill housing development and expedited approvals (housing projects located on already developed lands, such as parking lots)
- Categorical exemptions for projects, including: Advanced manufacturing facilities on industrially zoned land, wildfire reduction projects, broadband, parks and trail projects funded by Prop 4, day care centers, and more.
- These sweeping bills are quite broad in nature. Exemptions, including the “Advanced Manufacturing Facilities on Industrially Zoned Land,” continue to be controversial, with some talk of a potential clean-up bill addressing weaknesses in the coming weeks. Linked is a handy high-level analysis provided by the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), that details more elements included in the bills. If this is an area of interest for you or your organization, the specific bill language for AB 130 is linked here, and SB 131 is here.
- CORE & partners will continue to track updates related to these CEQA reforms.
- Big Beautiful Bill: President Trump signed the “Big Beautiful Bill” into law on July 4th. The Bill has significant ramifications for climate & energy priorities. Linked is a summarized view of impacts. Some key components of the bill regarding clean energy provisions include:
- The bill drastically limits solar and wind projects’ eligibility for clean energy tax credits or Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) by ending them for projects completed after 2027 or requiring construction to begin within 12 months of the bill’s signing.
- Tax credits for new or used clean-vehicle purchases, as well as clean commercial vehicle purchases, will end after Sept. 30, 2025.
- Tax credits for installing charging stations at a home or business will expire on June 30, 2026.
- The bill also repeals unobligated Inflation Reduction Act funding for a whole slew of offices and programs, including Tribal Energy Loans, Loan Program Office, and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF).
- CORE & partners will continue to track updates related to this Bill and potential effects on local initiatives.
- Despite continued pushback at a federal level to the Offshore Wind Industry (OSW), the State of California has continued to move forward with two key aspects of the Offshore Wind Cluster.
- Transmission: The California Independent System Operator has publicized the chosen transmission developers for the two 500 KV lines needed to transport OSW energy out of Humboldt. The developer is Viridon, LLC. Viridon has indicated in their proposal that the transmission line would likely follow the transmission corridor near Highway 36 in the Eel River valley. Additionally, the proposal offers some clues as to potential substation siting.
- Port Development: The state of California continues to deliberate on Proposition 4 funding allocation for OSW Staging and Integration sites. The two ports that qualify for this allocation are the Port of Humboldt and the Port of Long Beach.
In the news:
- The City of Blue Lake Terminates Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Battery Developer.
- Lost Coast Outpost, June 24, 2025
- The agreement with controversial project developer around a 20 MW lithium-iron-phosphate battery was cancelled due to the city’s agreement with the developer being “contingent on its inclusion on RCEA’s shortlist, because without a purchasing agreement from that agency, PowerTransitions wouldn’t have a customer willing to buy the energy stored at the facility.”
- Hoopa Valley Tribe elected a new Chair
- Lost Coast Outpost, June 24, 2025
- The Outpost sat down with Chair Davis to talk about his history on the tribal council and to learn more about what’s to come.
- Anti-offshore wind groups target $426M grant for California port
- Canary Media, June 17, 2025
- Anti-wind activists want Trump to claw back funding for a floating offshore wind port in Northern California.
- France Gets its first floating wind turbines
- Offshore Wind Biz, June 5, 2025
- Check out the New Voices are Rising Program by The Rose Foundation
- New Voices Are Rising empowers young BIPOC leaders from diverse Bay Area communities, increasing awareness of local and global environmental injustices through civic engagement and skills building.
- How to talk to Republicans about offshore wind
- Canary Media, May 13, 2025
- At a recent offshore wind industry conference, speakers had lots of advice on how to make the case for President Trump’s least favorite form of energy.
- In Uncertain Times, the Port of Oakland Goes Electric
- Knee Deep Times, April 16, 2025
- Visual story series
- A vast urban port chooses clean energy and healthier communities over business as usual, all while shifting 90,000 containers a month.
- In October, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the port a $322 million grant to transition its cargo handling operations to zero emissions. Matched by the port and local partners, the total investment will be close to half a billion dollars, all flowing into green, sustainable energy.
- Since Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the EPA has frozen thousands of dollars in environmental funding across the Bay Area. But the Port of Oakland’s clean air and electrification project has so far avoided those cuts; and for now, remains on track.
With appreciation,
The CORE Hub team