This report responds to the directive set forth by Assembly Bill 525 (AB 525, Chiu, Chapter 231, Statutes of 2021). The law directs that on or before December 31, 2022, the California Energy Commission (CEC) shall “complete and submit to the Natural Resources Agency and relevant fiscal and policy committees of the legislature a preliminary assessment of the economic benefits of offshore wind as they relate to seaport investments and workforce development needs and standards.” This report addresses these requirements.
This report is the second of four work products that AB 525 directs the CEC to prepare, informing a strategic plan for offshore wind energy developments installed off the California coast in federal waters in coordination with federal, state, and local agencies and a wide variety of stakeholders. The strategic plan must be submitted to the California Natural Resources Agency and the Legislature no later than June 30, 2023. The strategic plan is to be informed by interim activities and products developed by the CEC that include this report and two additional reports. The first report, Offshore Wind Energy Development off the California Coast: Maximum Feasible Capacity and Megawatt Planning Goals for 2030 and 2045, was adopted by the CEC at the August 10, 2022, public business meeting. That report established offshore wind energy planning goals of 2,000–5,000 megawatts by 2030 and 25,000 megawatts by 2045. The other interim report, also due on or before December 31, 2022, will provide a permitting roadmap that describes the time frames and milestones for a coordinated, comprehensive, and efficient permitting process for offshore wind energy facilities and associated electricity transmission infrastructure off the California coast.
