A group of elected officials, union members and climate activists toured the San Luis Obispo port, which could be expanded to accommodate offshore wind projects. (Elected Officials to Protect America)
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By Suzanne Potter
Oct 14, 2025
Elected officials, labor unions and grassroots groups recently gathered in San Luis Obispo to show their support for offshore wind energy, even though the Trump administration has moved to reevaluate offshore wind leases and has pulled hundreds of millions in federal funding.
California voters approved a climate bond to upgrade port infrastructure in Morro Bay and Humboldt to be ready to accept energy from offshore wind turbines in the future.
Mark Simonin, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 639, said floating offshore wind carries a lot of economic potential.
“There will be operation and maintenance; there will be small manufacturing, warehousing,” Simonin outlined. “There’s going to be multiple jobs through multiple sectors. So, it will be a real positive impact for the working-class folks.”
But the Trump administration has focused its efforts on boosting the oil and gas industry and has reversed many Biden-era renewable energy programs. More than 250 elected officials across California have signed a letter supporting the responsible buildout of offshore wind, in order to help the state reach its goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy and become carbon-neutral by 2045.
Susan Callery, offshore wind lead for the Slow Climate Coalition, is a former Poway city council member and the retired manager of NASA’s now-defunct climate website.
“I have two grandkids, and every time I look at them, I just wonder what kind of world they’re going to grow up in,” Callery explained. “I’m very worried about the consequences of climate change, especially since CO2 emissions keep growing every year.”
Last year, the California Energy Commission approved plans to develop 25 gigawatts of floating offshore wind power, granting five ocean leases off the coast of Humboldt and Morro Bay. Experts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimate California has 200 gigawatts of offshore wind potential, enough to power 25 million homes.