The California Energy Commission (CEC) presented an offshore wind energy symposium, featuring a U.S. Department of Energy Interactive Workshop, to discuss the efforts necessary to advance floating offshore wind, learn about the international experience, and identify what it will take to make the first floating offshore wind projects successful.
Offshore Wind Symposium Recording and Presentation
The symposium was held May 8, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to to 5:00 p.m.
Agenda
Offshore Wind Symposium Agenda
CEC & DOE Interactive Offshore Wind Workshop (9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.)
Track 1: Cost Reductions
Track 2: Supply Chain Development
Track 3: Expanded, Just, and Sustainable Deployment
Track 4: Transmission and Co-Generation
Lunch Break (11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.)
California Offshore Wind Energy Symposium (1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
Welcome: CEC Chair David Hochschild
Keynote:California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis
Panel 1:Paving A Clear Path
Facilitator: CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda
Panelists:
- Senator John Laird, District 17
- Senator Mike McGuire, District 2
- Assemblymember Jim Wood, District 2
- Assemblymember Rick Chavez ZBur, District 51
- Molly Morris, Senior Vice President, Renewables – Equinor US and the Americas
- Michael Brown, CEO, Ocean Winds North America
- Bryan Schueler, Senior EVP and Construction Business Leader, Invenergy
- Sam Eaton, President and CEO, RWE Offshore Winds Holdings, LLC
- Lars Pedersen, CEO, Vineyard Offshore
Break (2:30 – 2:50 p.m.)
Panel 2: Leading CA to 25 GW by 2045
Facilitator: CNRA Secretary Wade Crowfoot
Panelists
- Elizabeth (Liz) Klein, Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- CEC Chair David Hochschild
- Lauren Sanchez, Chief Climate Advisor, Office of Governor Newsom
- Jana Ganion, Sustainability and Government Affairs Director, Blue Lake Rancheria
- Eddie Ahn, Executive Director, Brightline Defense
Keynote: Henrik Stiesdal, Founder, Chief Technology Officer, and Board Member, Stiesdal
Closing Remarks: CEC Chair David Hochschild
The symposium started with an interactive workshop presented in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy on the Floating Offshore Wind Shot with topic focused breakout sessions providing an opportunity for participants to provide feedback on floating offshore wind R&D, transmission, and development needs.
During the symposium, state and federal leaders, along with the winners of the BOEM PACW-1 lease auction discussed the key challenges ahead with developing floating offshore wind in California and share perspectives and immediate priorities to responsibly developing an offshore wind industry.
Please note that this symposium took place immediately before the start of the Pacific Offshore Wind Summit 2023. The timing of both events were coordinated but the symposium and Pacific Offshore Wind Summit 2023 are unrelated.
As part of our Clean Energy goals, California has made historic commitments to developing offshore wind.
California’s focus on strategies to strengthen climate change resilience, advance zero-carbon and renewable energy technologies and policies, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions economywide, include swiftly and responsibly expanding the state’s renewable resource portfolio to include offshore wind energy.
2022 was banner year!
- Set planning goals of 2-5GWs by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045.
- Hosted California’s first-ever of offshore wind leases.
- Joined National Offshore Wind Consortium to advance research to improve infrastructure and reduce costs.
2023 has continued the trajectory!
- Adopted Preliminary Assessment of Economic Benefit of Offshore Wind Related to Seaport Investments and Workforce Development report.
- Hosted Humboldt Tribal Energy Sovereignty En Banc.
- Adopting a Conceptual Permitting Roadmap report.
- Implementing a Voluntary Offshore Wind and Coastal Resources Protection Program.
- Administrating an incentive program to support offshore wind infrastructure improvements to build out offshore wind facilities and maximize environmental benefits.
California is excited to join Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership
- California will bring new perspective, focus on offshore wind.
- Opportunity to coordinate on permitting and barrier busting.
- Allows west coast states to coordinate on port development and workforce development.