ECONOMIC AND ENERGY POTENTIAL

California has some of the greatest offshore wind potential in the U.S.  We can generate more electricity through offshore wind than we use in one year.

Harnessing the potential of offshore wind can help with California’s economic recovery -- creating a booming new industry that provides high-wage jobs, benefits and career training, including for workers from disadvantaged communities.

The offshore wind industry in California is projected to create up to 65,000 jobs during the construction phase and up to4,500 long-term operation and maintenance jobs.

• This includes jobs in the development, manufacturing, installation, and operation of offshore wind farms off the Pacific Coast.

• Offshore wind would support a diverse array of jobs that cater to different education and experience levels, including roles for environmental scientists, electrical engineers, construction laborers, welders, and sales representatives. 

Investing in these shovel-ready projects will not only create jobs, it will also help keep electricity bills affordable for all Californians.

• Savings of up to $2 billion from offshore wind are projected for California electricity customers. Offshore wind can lower rates for people long-term by avoiding the costly energy spikes associated with gas power generation in summer months. Ratepayer savings from offshore wind would increase over time.

• According to research by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), California could provide up to 25% of the state’s electricity needs through the development of five offshore wind sites. 

• Even with out-of-state wind power added to the electricity mix, California offshore wind power remains a valuable and least-cost resource option.

Offshore wind boosts our economy.

• Building an offshore wind industry requires the skills of more than 70 different professions, including and not limited to longshoremen, welders and engineers. The latest projections suggest offshore wind could support more than 17,500 good-paying jobs in 2045. The results from offshore wind planning and deployment in Portugal, Scotland and the U.S. East Coast show that offshore wind could be a high-road industry that not only helps the state achieve its climate policy goals for emissions reductions, but also spurs broad-based growth, creates quality jobs, and benefits communities.

• Offshore wind energy brings cleaner and safer air to breathe for communities 

CLEAN AIR

Offshore wind creates new opportunities to provide communities with the clean energy they want and need. By ensuring this renewable energy reaches California's most polluted communities first, we can help improve air quality and health outcomes for those who need it most, while providing an alternative to polluting sources of energy. 

California’s peaker power plants have some of the highest emissions rates as well as curtailment issues when we need them most. Across California, gas power plants are significantly more likely to be found in the state’s disadvantaged communities.

• 84% of peaker plants are located in areas considered to be in the most disadvantaged California communities.

• California must bring enough clean energy online to safely and reliably retire peaker gas plants in disadvantaged communities.

Solar power and offshore wind energy are a natural complement for each other.

• Coastal winds speed up during the late afternoon and early evening, enabling offshore wind turbines to deliver higher power output during peak demand periods between 5pm and 7pm as solar energy tends to fall.

• In other words, investing in offshore wind in California will help bring improved air quality and relief to frontline communities while reducing the risk of curtailments and blackouts.

We need to tap into offshore wind power to deliver on the promise of 100% clean, renewable energy.

• Analysis by the CEC indicates An analysis conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory looked at the coastline of California and estimated offshore wind could produce about 1.5 times of the state’s total energy consumption, based on 2014 numbers.

• California is aiming to produce enough energy by 2040 to power 25 million homes.

For California to reach our 100 percent clean electricity target in 2045, in-state renewable energy generation needs to increase dramatically.

• We urgently need to expand offshore wind energy generation in California -- the SB 100 report compiled by the CEC indicates that the state will require two to six times more renewables capacity by 2045 than is installed today.

• Offshore wind provides an opportunity to leverage the state’s vast coastal resource and allows California to diversify its renewable energy resources beyond solar.

The costs of not implementing offshore wind are too high.

• Offshore wind fills the energy gap created by the “duck curve” of solar energy, helping to fill the slot once filled by polluting natural gas power plants. Cleaner energy will be cheaper than natural gas, whose prices often spike with demand or other market fluctuations. And as time progresses and the industry matures, learning from Europe and the East Coast, we can expect offshore wind costs to go down. The avoided costs of offshore wind increase over time. This reflects the growing value of offshore wind over time as more and more greenhouse-gas-free energy is required to meet state policy goals and alternative sources become more expensive.