Despite federal attempts to obstruct, State takes next steps on ports and transmission to advance floating wind
“We believe in offshore wind. We are counting on it. It’s clean, renewable energy and is already creating good jobs for now and into the future. Long Beach is playing our part to make sure it becomes a reality in California,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson at the OSW Summit in his city of Long Beach.
Long Beach, CA, May 21, 2026—State, industry, and elected officials and other leaders at the 2026 Pacific Offshore Wind Summit joined in praising California for staying the course on its plans for gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind to spur its energy security, jobs, and clean-power future.
“Communities up and down the coast remain positive about the buildout of offshore wind. They know it’s clean energy that will help mitigate the extreme weather that continues to wreak havoc and destruction in California. They know good paying jobs will spur their local economies. They see it as a generational opportunity that will revive businesses and create new ones. We need the energy security it will provide as oil and gas is a volatile, polluting, antiquated source of energy,” said Benjamin Collings, Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) Offshore Wind Director, Former Maine State Representative. “We at Elected Officials to Protect America (EOPA) stand with our elected officials and their communities as the potential for this industry will catapult the state to achieve 100 percent clean energy. Over 250 elected officials from all across the state have signed a letter in support for California offshore wind.”
Speakers at the Summit, hosted by Offshore Wind California(OWC), urged the state to proceed with its recent advances on offshore wind – despite federal headwinds – to strengthen its role as a global leader on floating wind technology and jobs.
“We believe in offshore wind. We are counting on it. It’s clean, renewable energy and is already creating good jobs for now and into the future. Long Beach is playing our part to make sure it becomes a reality in California,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a speech kicking off the Pacific Offshore Wind Summit on May 20, 2026. He is a signatory on the EOPA offshore wind letter.
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, California has 200 GW of offshore wind potential, with more than 25 GW in existing leases at Morro Bay and Humboldt and waters off the North Coast. Deep West Coast waters require floating technologies already deployed in other world markets.
“Offshore wind is essential to California’s clean-energy future,” said Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, California State Assembly. “Federal courts have already rejected several attempts by the Administration to halt offshore wind projects. Offshore wind remains one of the most important tools we have to meet our clean-energy goals while creating thousands of good-paying union jobs.”
Asm. Zbur was a key backer of legislation leading to Prop 4 that voters approved in 2024 with $475 million for port infrastructure and also authored AB 3 on port readiness for offshore wind.
A floating offshore wind platform with turbine off the coast of Maine. The VolturnUS shows how floating offshore wind could be deployed along the coast – nearly not visible at all from the land. Ramona du Houx courtesy photo
Key next steps to be taken in California to build out offshore wind include investing in ports and transmission, procuring at scale, refining a permitting roadmap, engaging key stakeholders, workforce training, and boosting a supply chain.
Numerous reports show deploying just 25 GW of California offshore wind can create thousands of jobs, supply 10-15 percent of the state’s new clean energy, offer ratepayers affordable, reliable clean power, drive economies of scale, and generate enough competitively priced electricity for up to 25 million homes.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) advanced the state’s AB 525 strategic plan with its AB3 scoping process to improve port readiness for offshore wind, and awarded $42.75 million to upgrade waterfront facilities at the Ports of Humboldt, Long Beach, Oakland, Richmond, and San Luis Obispo.
“Offshore wind is bold, it’s big, it’s important,” said David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission. “California is the fourth largest economy in the world. We are defending our investments in clean energy jobs and innovation. We will reach 25 GW of offshore wind by 2045.”
California secured its current offshore wind leases, located 20-30 miles off its coast and nearly completely out of sight, in the 2022 federal lease sale for Pacific offshore wind that drew bids of $757 million from developers to deploy an initial 7-10 GW.
“At a time of global energy volatility, offshore wind is not just a climate strategy. It is part of a national security strategy,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba. “The grid we built for the last century cannot carry us through the next. This is renewable energy’s moment. And at the Port of Long Beach, we are not waiting. We are investing in building the Port of the Future which will include a diverse portfolio of zero emission technology that requires diversified energy sources. We are building. We are partnering. We are turning this moment into momentum.”
Public support remains strong and broad for offshore wind to help power California’s clean-energy future. An March 2026 survey by Tarrance Group for Turn Forward shows 76 percent of Californians favor deploying offshore wind off the state’s coast. A July 2025 PPIC statewide poll found 75 percent of Californians back offshore wind, including 88 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of Republicans.
“California is staying the course on offshore wind – which is vital to our energy security, jobs, and clean-power future,” said Adam Stern, Executive Director, OWC, a trade group of offshore wind developers and technology firms.
California is well-positioned to be a hub in the growing global floating wind market. California has joined the Global Offshore Wind Alliance and has agreements on floating wind with Norway, Scotland, Denmark, Japan, UK, and China.
