Commercial Fishing Organizations Sue Over Calif. Offshore Wind Surveys

A map of California’s offshore wind energy areas. Image: Bureau of Energy Management.

Two groups that represent commercial fishers in Central California are suing to block a coastal development permit that would allow the company Atlas Wind to conduct surveys related to offshore wind development in state waters.

On Sept. 6, the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization and the Port San Luis Commercial Fisherman Association, both of which represent commercial fishers in San Luis Obispo County, filed a petition to block a coastal development permit that would allow Atlas Wind to conduct surveys in state waters.

Atlas Wind is owned by Equinor, a Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company.

The petition alleges that the California Coastal Commission violated state regulations by ignoring the concerns of the fishers during the hearing when the permit was approved.

The two fishing groups also argue in the filing that the commission was biased toward Atlas Wind due to a ‘thumbs up’ motion that a commission deputy director made to attendees following the Commission’s July 12 approval of sediment sample surveys by the developer.

“At the very least, such a gesture gave and conveyed the appearance of bias and prejudice in favor of Equinor,” the petition states.

The petition urges the court to revoke the permit and require the commission to add mitigation measures for commercial fishing before hearing it again. The fishing groups have said  that the surveys could harm fish, disrupt marine habitat and interfere with the commercial industry.

If approved, the proposed offshore wind project would be located about 60 miles off Morro Bay, Calif. Morro Bay is about 230 miles south of San Francisco and 201 miles north of Los Angeles. It would cover about 80,000 acres and produce 2 gigawatts of renewable energy.

The commercial lease for the area was signed by Equinor in 2023.