The state of California’s transition to 100% renewable electricity will be accelerated by new goals of up to 5,000 MW by 2030 and 25,000 MW by 2045. SACRAMENTO The state of California is now one step closer to developing the clean energy potential off its coast after the California Energy Commission (CEC) accepted an report establishing offshore wind goals yesterday. According to the report’s preliminary findings, offshore wind power generation capacity should reach 2,000–5,000 MW by 2030 and 25,000 MW by 2045, providing enough energy to power 3.75 million homes at first and 25 million by the middle of the century.
The best offshore wind resources in the nation are found in California, and this type of energy source has the potential to significantly contribute to the state’s achievement of 100 percent clean electricity and carbon neutrality. By delivering power at the end of the day and into the evening when the sun sets, offshore wind is a crucial clean energy source at night that complements solar energy.
These challenging but doable objectives show how devoted California is to luring the offshore wind sector to our state, according to CEC Chair David Hochschild . This amazing resource will provide clean electricity constantly, assisting in the fastest feasible transition away from fossil fuel-based energy while maintaining system resilience.
In collaboration with federal, state, and municipal authorities as well as stakeholders like tribal governments, fisheries, and other ocean users, the CEC created the report. It is the first of several products that the CEC must develop in order to construct a strategic plan for the development of offshore wind energy in accordance with Assembly Bill 525 . It displays the most recent findings in technical potential study.
All hands must be on deck to fulfill our state’s climate goals, and CEC Vice Chair Siva Gunda is dedicated to continued collaboration with other agencies and people who will be most impacted by the scale-up required to reach 100 percent clean electricity.
The CEC team will then investigate the economic advantages of offshore wind in connection to investments in seaports and need for manpower development. A plan for developing a permitting procedure for offshore wind energy plants and related electrical and transmission infrastructure will also be developed by staff. By June 2023, the whole plan must be delivered to the Legislature.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed an agreement began developing on the West Coast last year for the first time. released a proposed sale notice for offshore wind leases off the northern and central coasts in regions considered as most suited for commercial wind energy activities close to Humboldt and Morro Bay were granted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in May as a consequence of the agreement.
With $10.5 million in funding approved by the CEC earlier this year, plans for upgrades at the Port of Humboldt Bay are already in motion to get ready for offshore wind activity. On top of this endeavor, Governor Newsom’s California Energy Commission 0plan suggests spending an additional $45 million to upgrade other waterfront facilities that require repair.
Visit the California Energy Commission 1 to find out more about California’s offshore wind initiatives.
Thanks to AA12.
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