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California offshore wind bill heads to the Governor's desk

4C Offshore | Tom Russell
By: Tom Russell 13/09/2021 AB 525
A bill (AB 525) which seeks to accelerate deployment of offshore wind on the California coast has been approved by the California State Legislature. It passed a Senate unanimous roll call vote of 38-0 following approval by the Assembly earlier this year by a vote of 71-1.

The bill directs state agencies to evaluate and quantify the range of maximum feasible capacity of offshore wind goals for offshore wind production in 2030 and 2045. This would be completed by 1 June 2022.

The bill also directs the state to create a strategic plan for deploying this new industry, from identifying necessary sea space and developing a local offshore wind workforce to improving port facilities and transmission infrastructure needed to bring this new source of energy online. It would also require the Energy Commission, in coordination with relevant state and local agencies, to develop a plan to improve waterfront facilities that could support a range of floating offshore wind energy development activities.

In its strategic plan, the Energy Commission would be required to develop and produce a permitting roadmap that describes timeframes and milestones for a permitting process for offshore wind energy facilities and associated electricity and transmission infrastructure off the coast of California.  

The Energy Commission would be required to submit the strategic plan to the Natural Resources Agency and the Legislature on or before 30 June 2023.

Bill AB 525 has now been passed to Governor Gavin Newsom for his signature.


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