We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
Ok

California

Abundant electricity created by offshore wind can bring 100% renewable energy to California.

Discover the power of offshore wind in California

Why offshore wind?

Essential

Offshore wind energy is essential to meet California’s goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2045.

Abundant

Offshore wind is an abundant source of clean power that can power millions of California homes and reduce the impacts of climate change.

Reliable

Offshore wind offers reliable and resilient energy to the electric grid all day long across every season of the year.

Offshore wind in action

California offshore wind projects

Explore offshore wind projects in Humboldt and San Luis Obispo counties by clicking on the tooltips.
meeting rising energy demand affordably

Driving long-term affordability

As California transitions to greater quantities of renewable energy, residents and business owners can expect to see more stability in electricity prices. Offshore wind currently produces power around the world, and California’s offshore wind is expected to come online in the early-mid 2030s. Offshore wind power off California’s coast will help stabilize California’s power grid and consumer energy prices by decoupling energy costs from volatile fuel prices.

Over the long term, transitioning to a 100% clean grid and electrification will stabilize energy prices and reduce total monthly home energy bills for average Californians.

Building a stronger future

Propelling Workforce Development and Economic Growth

Click on the graph to learn how offshore wind benefits the workforce and aids in economic growth.

Offshore wind will support a diverse range of high-paying jobs throughout each phase of the lifetime of the projects, including but not limited to:

Planning and Development

Marine biologists, engineers, geophysicists, and permitting specialists.

Manufacturing and Assembly

Control systems specialists, port operators, engineers, technicians, administrative staff, and welders.

Construction and Installation

Dock workers, electricians, iron workers, engineers, painters, line workers, plumbers, and pile drivers.

Operations and Maintenance

Wind turbine technicians, plant managers, support vessel crews, and administrative staff.

Offshore wind will provide opportunities for small businesses and local economies to capitalize in investment in port infrastructure, supply chains, and the local workforce.

Port Infrastructure

Upgrading and expanding port infrastructure is vital to offshore wind. From Eureka to Long Beach, ports are planning billions of dollars in upgrades to manufacture and deploy offshore wind foundations, towers, and turbines while creating a dynamic and growing offshore wind industry in California.

Supply Chain Growth

Offshore wind projects will create new business opportunities by requiring an interconnected supply chain of California firms specializing in manufacturing, construction, and maintenance of offshore wind.

Local Workforce Development

The first five offshore wind leaseholders are committed to investing over $117 million in workforce development and expansion of the domestic supply chain for materials required by the floating offshore wind energy industry.

Offshore wind will create thousands of union-represented manufacturing, installation, and maintenance jobs while supporting the development of a highly skilled workforce. Development of 25 GW of offshore wind in California is estimated to create:

8,000

Jobs in offshore wind for roles like installation, operations, manufacturing, and maintenance.

1,000s

Of indirect jobs in planning, construction, and management of port readiness.

Additional

Indirect jobs in service-related fields.

partnering with local communities

$50 million has been committed to community benefit agreements

California offshore wind leaseholders are dedicated community partners.

Leaseholders are committed to consistent, steady public engagement with Native American Tribes and Tribal Nations, fisheries, labor unions, and other stakeholders and residents of local communities from the earliest phases of planning through decades of construction and operations. Their approach prioritizes economic empowerment, environmental protection, and meaningful community engagement.

For example, $50 million has been committed to community benefit agreements, which will be finalized during the planning process and are required to be submitted to BOEM before construction begins after coordinating directly with fisheries, tribes, and other local community stakeholders.

history of offshore wind in california

A timeline of offshore wind in California

Call for information and nominations

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a Call for Information and Nominations for three potential development areas in federal waters off of California, kickstarting an intergovernmental work group with the state.

2018

AB 525 Signed into Law

AB 525 (Chiu) directs the California Energy Commission (CEC) to assess the “maximum feasible capacity” of offshore wind production in California. CEC adopts a target of producing 25,000 MW of offshore wind energy by 2045

2021

Offshore Wind Lease Auction

U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) holds a historic auction for five leases offshore California, the first ever in the Pacific Ocean.

2022

AB 1373 Signed into Law

AB 1373 (E. Garcia) adopts a ‘central procurement’ strategy, a major step towards the development and delivery of 100% clean energy from offshore wind, helping California meet its clean energy goals while creating thousands of high-wage jobs.

2023