California’s Offshore Wind Lease Auction is Underway
Press release from Redwood Coast Energy Authority:
[Stock photo from Wikipedia Commons, image by Martin Nikolaj Christensen from Sorø, Denmark]
At 7am this morning the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) initiated the auction of five California offshore wind energy area leases, two in the Humboldt Wind Energy Area and three in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area.
Seven bidders are participating in the auction, with live results posted by BOEM at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/california
Federal offshore wind auctions can last multiple days, and BOEM will announce the names of the winning developers shortly after the auction closes.
Since 2016, Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) has been actively planning and coordinating with private developers and stakeholders including local, state, and federal government leaders, local Tribes and commercial fishermen to prepare for responsible offshore wind development that provides community benefits and minimizes impacts, in addition to making a meaningful contribution to local and state renewable energy objectives. RCEA’s RePower Humboldt strategic plan establishes the goal of generating 100% of the county’s electricity needs from local renewable sources by 2030, and offshore wind could play a central role in achieving that goal.
“After many years of planning, this is an exciting milestone in the process,” said Matthew Marshall, RCEA’s Executive Director. “RCEA’s primary interest is to see good projects move forward, and we are committed to working with the developers that secure leases to ensure transparent and meaningful community engagement that puts our local interests and concerns front and center in the development process. The community benefits agreements and lease stipulations that BOEM will require of developers are a good starting point.”
The two Humboldt lease areas together encompass over 205 square miles and are 20-30 miles off the coast of Humboldt Bay. Combined with Morro Bay, the five California Wind Energy Area leases amount to approximately 528 square miles, which could potentially generate over 4.6 GW of offshore wind energy; enough to power more than 1.5 million homes. Due to our region’s grid transmission constraints, RCEA anticipates that the first phase of Humboldt development will be limited to around 150 MW and will primarily be for local consumption. New and upgraded transmission infrastructure is required to scale up to the full capacity that the Humboldt Wind Energy Area can accommodate and to export power to the state’s grid.
NOTE: While RCEA was listed on the list of eligible auction bidders, RCEA is not participating in the auction in any way. RCEA’s inclusion on the list is a legacy of submitting an “unsolicited lease request” to BOEM in 2018, which required RCEA to qualify as an eligible entity. BOEM subsequently absorbed RCEA’s proposed lease area into what is now the Humboldt Wind Energy Area.
About RCEA
Established in 2003, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority is a local government joint powers agency whose members include the County of Humboldt, the seven cities within the county, and the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. The Energy Authority’s purpose is to develop and implement sustainable energy initiatives that reduce energy demand, increase energy efficiency, and advance the use of clean, efficient, and renewable resources available in the region. For more info, visit redwoodenergy.org
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Turbine wind blade cleaner should be a good paying job.
Especially if it is still turning!
during a 120 mph gale! 900 feet in the air!
These turbines require a great volume of oil-based lubricant. I would like to hear/read about the safety procedures & failsafe requirements to prevent accidental spillage. I am also curious how many years (decades) of operation to expect before these power generators produce more power than was expended for their manufacture & construction?
I understood at least 5 gallons per turbine..??and we know they won’t be able to get out to ck and maintain these often in our areas..when fishing boats cannot go out…you figure it out…umhumm
I guess you should ha e thought of that while they were trying to build on the land ma’am where you could monitor. Tsk tsk too late now.
It’s not an equitable exchange, for the power generated. It’s green energy, so what could possibly go wrong? Ask the two men in the photo.
helicopter arrived two minutes after this photo was taken
Well they’re coming. You can cry til your pillow is soaked and they are coming. Boohoo. We will have non fossil fuel sources in Humboldt County whether the so called environmentalists here want it or not.
Ps your car drips more oil than this field will leak in its lifetime.
I believe most environmentalists support any alternative to fossil fuels. Especially when the technology is proven safe.
Whether or not Humboldt County wants to get on-board, there will be an estimated 60,000 off-shore wind turbines by 2030.
There will be a lot of bird blood and guts to clean on those blades of the Biden bird shredders… not to mention the effects of the vibration on the delicate marine environment . Nothing to see here, Just another money laundering scam. The only thing green about them is the money . 205 square miles.. you gotta be shittin me!
You were right about golden eagles. They do fly over our ocean to offshore islands. In any case, the liberals are insistent this pseudo windmill solution happens, so it will. Hundreds of thousands of birds shredded. It is the Pacific Flyway by the way. Oh well. Much like illegal immigration and the destruction of border wildlife habitat. Garbage, pollution, disturbance night and day. Gee, I wonder what could go wrong? Welcome to the new eco boss, 1000 times worse than the old boss. Never trust a liberal environmentalist, progressive, or democrat, they are all for environmental destruction if it benefits their cause. I hope they end up destitute with the boot of Zuckerberg on their faces, squeezing their fat jowells out like a pig squeezing its head into a beer keg to get the last drops.
no migration of eagles or other birds thirty miles off shore and these aren’t fans, they rotate very slow
Ignorance knows no bounds. And climate-change deniers are not the sharpest pencils in the box, in any case.
Why do old guys think memes are so funny?
How to admit you lack a sense of humor without saying you lack a sense of humor
The vogons looking for the intergalactic bypass route they land in humboldt and see…windmills..? Because you are changing the climate? Dont they know their planet has had either one or two permanent icecaps nine percent of the time in the last 550 million years? But tell them that they ll jam their fingers in their ears and scream… We got the route! That society is too stupid to exist
My understanding is that we are in protected space and the Galactic Federation is actively restricting any spacecraft which lack the ability to dimensionally phase-shift into the 4th (or higher) dimension(s).
But—just in case—be sure to always keep your towel handy, and it’s never too late to start downloading useless information to your iPad. I recommend Farscape.
Be careful with bringing facts and logic to that conversation…
If crabpot ropes entangle and kill whales then what about windmill anchor cables and all the damned traffic?
The hypocritical left will ignore all legitimate concerns about those hundreds of windmill anchor cables…They can name each wind tower, with the name of an entangled whale.
You got that right. You know why, because the means to an end doesn’t matter, it’s the end that matters. Gotta break a million eggs or shred a billion birds and bats to make an omelette for the few. They will never like you because you do not toe their line. We are dealing with creeps and liars so understand the enemy and treat them accordingly. Create alternative economies and solutions out of their reach. Wall them off and don’t give them an inch. Laugh right in their faces when they get hostile as they will get beet red and become enraged. If they touch you, poke you, push you, or spit on you, have them arrested for assault and go through with it. Make them spend the night in the pokey, crying like babies for mommy. . Make them eat their windmills and words.
have you ever seen an anchor line for a at sea wind tubine ?
Crabpot ropes are not wind turbine anchor cables.
It’s impossible for a whale to become entangled in a wind turbine anchor cable.
awww they’re just alarmist at large
How do you figure it’s impossible for whales to get entangled?
Because it’s not a net, it’s a straight cable that is kept relatively tight to prevent the wind turbine from drifting away from its anchor point. Imagine it like a long, flexible pole. As any stripper can attest, animals don’t get entangled on poles. At least not unless they are trying to…..
I dont get it. Sure any company can build the turbines, then install them, then run cable to the shore, then what? You have to build a Substation or somehow tie into the grid yet peeg has no plans to do this. “Upgrade transmission”? I have not met a property owner yet ready to give up more land for a bigger transmission line. So much undetermined and unplanned, this seems destined to fail. BTW, environmental laws will surely prevent this from happening. Citizens and residents cannot even create a safer ROAD thru Richardson Grove cause the granolas, ain’t no way this will happen without major complications.
It’s totally BS. Liberals in charge means absolutely stupid policies, stupid projects, stupid lies about what will actually happen when their stupid ideas are put in action.
Wow from the comments here the right wingers seem like the new do-nothing party. I’m happy to see some new industry here and some energy self sufficiency.
not right wingers …more like no wingers
A wingnut on every corner, the California way.
Bring it onshore and I’m all for it. Liberals along with whiny tribes refused that. It’s environmentally “not safe” off shore for the same reason it’s “not safe” on shore.” It’s evidently not safe for birds. However, the environmental disaster for marine life is way worse. Not only possible pollution to the water,but many animals depend on verbal communication. The vibration noise will be horrible for them. That’s just the start of why I’m against this project. Liberals don’t really think things through. They just jump on the bandwagon. If a liberal leader says it, it’s true, so heaven forbid anyone question it. I, however, question everything from anyone in leadership because when it comes to government especially, I trust no-one until I verify it.
Albatrosses. Live several decades, one of the longest lived seabirds. Legendary documented females living thirty plus years, never touching the landmass continent ground, landing on fishing vessels and offshore islands, and giving birth to multiple clutches. And yes, there are albatrosses off our coast. So, liberals, if the windmills kill one albatross, what are you going to do? Are you going to pay a trillion dollars for a “take”.? The answer is obviously the means to an end, nothing., never happened, it’s old news so shut up.You just killed an elephant, not that you care. That is what I mean folks, fight them at every turn, identify a northern spotted owl seabird snd make them enjoy the suck. Sue the USFWS snd make them do studies for 50 years. Make them eat their own words and diabolical end game schemes.
Mr lib here any albatross die I shall watch the news in my lounge chair right after work and then go to bed and wake up and do the same thing again that’s what we do. Y’all seem to take life a little too seriously chill out
528 sq. miles for 1.5 million homes. It wiil take half this states coast line to provide for L A needs
Over $400 million bid so far (after first day of bidding) total on those five parcels. Far offshore wind power generation is bleeding edge technology so it is a risky venture.
Impresses me that these lots are worth so much money considering the risk or even probability that it’s not going to work very well. Makes you wonder if the investors are basing these far offshore wind power generation developments on government loans that they know they won’t have to pay back if things don’t work out.
Glad to hear that the first power they generate will be dedicated to local counties since the power transmission capabilities to/from this area are so lacking.
I would sure like to see the contingent terms of the leases. Cant imagine they would be on the hook for the millions if the transmission lines couldn’t be built or the port development is compromised or the impacts to marine life is unacceptable.
The question is will the project need to be identified as a whole or piecemeal. For instance would the transmission lines through the mountains be a separate project than the floating windmills even if the two projects would only exist for each other.
This would make Richardsons grove look like a grain of sand on beach.
Thank gawd fossil fuels have absolutely no downsides!
How much fossil fuel is being used to make these ‘renewable energy” generators? Likely huge amounts. So how clean is it really?
Whatever it takes
Yes it does that’s why it’s all got to go as fast as possible