The California Energy Commission (CEC) reported that a California offshore wind industry will require significant investment for transmission and port upgrades. The report is available for public comment until March 22, 2024.
The draft report estimated the cost of transmission upgrades ranging from $7.51 billion to $41.35 billion by 2045. It also estimated that $11 billion to $12 billion is needed to upgrade existing port infrastructure at Humboldt and Long Beach to meet the 2045 goals. The report also projected that the industry could bring between 6,300 and 18,600 jobs, depending on the level of policy support.
The three-volume report is the last of four reports required under Assembly Bill (AB) 525, which requires CEC to “evaluate and quantify the maximum feasible capacity of offshore wind to achieve reliability, ratepayer, employment, and decarbonization benefits” along with megawatt offshore wind planning goals for 2030 and 2045.
The three volumes cover:
The CEC raised its development goals for offshore wind in 2022 after. The agency approved its final report on its development goals for offshore wind in California and raised its target to 2 to 5 GW by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045. The draft report set the targets at 3 GW by 2030 and 10 to 15 GW by 2045. (see also California Increases Offshore Wind Targets)