Cherise Gaffney and Ken Pearson Talk West Coast Offshore Wind Development

In an article in the Puget Sound Business Journal, Cherise Gaffney and Ken Pearson discuss steps being taken off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington to expand offshore wind energy as part of the Biden administration’s goal of adding 30 gigawatts (GW) of the energy source by 2030.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which manages the leasing and development of offshore wind on the outer continental shelf, has designated areas off the coasts of California and Oregon for which it expects to offer leases totaling 3 GW for the former as soon as this fall and totaling 3 GW for the latter by the first quarter of 2024.

Gaffney and Pearson note that the West Coast states’ ability to bring projects online in time to help the Biden administration meet its goal depends both on the issuance of leases by BOEM and the likely need for state legislatures to act to enable the projects to offload their energy.

They conclude: “It is probably fair to say that offshore wind is ‘poised’ for growth on the West Coast in the next few years, but some concerted effort at the state level will be required to propel the industry forward.”

You can read the full article here.