Posted on October 4, 2024
A proposed 400-acre terminal to assemble and deploy floating offshore wind turbines received a boost this week when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill allowing the Port of Long Beach, which is pursing the ambitious project, to streamline the design and construction of the plan, known as Pier Wind.
Assembly Bill 2235 — authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach — will reduce costs and accelerate the timeline to complete what would be the largest facility of its kind in the United States, according to information provided this week by port officials.
It will also help the state meet its goals for renewable energy sources.
“We now have the ability to plan and build Pier Wind in a way that is smarter, faster and more cost-effective,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero, who thanked Newsom, Lowenthal, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President Pro Team Mike McGuire for getting the legislation approved.
Pier Wind, Cordero said in written remarks released by the port, “will help the state meet climate goals, create jobs and economic opportunities for local communities, and establish a new green energy industry along the West Coast.”
Cordero also thanked labor — the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and State Building and Construction Trades Council of California — for collaborating on the project.
AB 2235 allows the port to use alternative construction delivery methods to design and build Pier Wind.
Pier Wind would allow for staging, storing and assembling some of the world’s largest offshore wind turbines, standing as tall as the Eiffel Tower.
The fully assembled turbines would be towed by sea from the Port of Long Beach to wind lease areas 20 to 30 miles off the coast in Central and Northern California to help the state and federal government meet renewable energy goals.
The proposed project is undergoing extensive environmental review by local, state and federal regulatory agencies as the Port of Long Beach gathers input from the community. If approved, construction of the $4.7 billion project could start as soon as 2027, with the first 200 acres completed in 2031, and the final 200 acres coming online in 2035.
In addition to creating new green energy jobs in Southern California, according to supporters, Pier Wind would enable other sectors of the supply chain to create jobs supporting the manufacture, assembly, operations and maintenance of offshore wind projects on the West Coast.
The Port of Long Beach sponsored the bill, which was approved in August by the state Senate and Assembly before being signed on Monday, Sept. 30, by Newsom.
