Offshore Wind Update: Developments in Oregon, Washington
Two years ago, the Biden administration announced that the West Coast would be open to offshore wind (OSW) development for the first time, starting with areas along the northern and central coasts of California, as part of the administration’s larger efforts to create 30 gigawatts of domestic offshore wind by 2030.
Now the government’s offshore wind efforts are moving farther up the West Coast.
Last spring, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the lead agency handling the offshore wind development process, announced possible leasing off the Oregon coast, in the proposed Coos Bay Call Area (872,854 acres) and the Brookings Call Area (about 286,444 acres).
Washington state isn’t far behind. While BOEM hasn’t announced any call areas in the Evergreen State, there’s been at least...