California presses forward on offshore wind

Southern California's Port of Long Beach is planning a $4.7 billion offshore wind energy project even as the federal government pulls back on funding and permits for wind farms and other renewable energy projects, reports Hayley Smith in the Los Angeles Times.

According to Smith, "The proposed Pier Wind project at the Port of Long Beach is a 400-acre terminal for the positioning, storage and assembly of some of the world’s largest offshore wind turbines, which would be towed north to federal wind lease areas some 20 miles off Morro and Humboldt bays."

California aims to create 25 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2045 as part of its clean energy goals. Because of the depth of the Pacific Ocean there, the state will have to use floating turbines rather than traditional equipment affixed to the sea floor. The state is focusing on preparing its ports and the power grid to accept energy from offshore turbines and other steps it can take within its jurisdiction as it waits out the Trump administration, which has cancelled multiple offshore wind leases including one off the coast of California.