BOEM to Establish California Renewable Energy Task Force

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will initiate planning with the State of California to establish an Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force to examine opportunities for offshore renewable energy development along the Golden State. 

California Governor Jerry Brown requested formation of the task force in a May 12 letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “In response to Governor Brown’s request, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has directed BOEM to work with the State of California to establish a task force to coordinate and consult on potential renewable energy activities on the OCS offshore California,” said Janice Schneider, Interior Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management.

The task force, a non-decisional entity, will facilitate coordination and communication in a partnership between BOEM and state, local, and tribal governments and federal agencies concerning potential renewable energy leasing for research activities and commercial development on federal submerged lands on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), offshore California.

“While offshore renewable energy resources have not yet played a significant role in California’s energy system, they present important potential future opportunities,” said California Governor Jerry Brown in his May 12 letter to Secretary Jewell. “There are significant offshore resources along most of California’s coast that complement the profile of onshore solar resources, and new developments in offshore wind technology – such as larger facilities that are not visible from land and present little to no adverse avian impacts – will likely make projects more viable.”

“Working closely with stakeholders will allow us to identify and address issues relating to future offshore renewable energy leasing and development in a way that supports California’s clean energy goals,” said BOEM Director Abigail Ross Hopper.

In January 2016, BOEM received an unsolicited request for a commercial lease offshore California from Trident Winds. BOEM reviewed the unsolicited lease application and determined in March 2016 that Trident Winds was qualified to hold a commercial lease on the Outer Continental Shelf, and will further determine competitive interest and to request comments and information from the public on the proposed area.