California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill allowing the Port of Long Beach to streamline the design and construction of Pier Wind, a proposed 400-acre (160-hectare) terminal to facilitate the assembly and deployment of floating offshore wind turbines.
Assembly Bill 2235, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, will reduce costs and accelerate the timeline to complete the proposed Pier Wind project, which would be the largest facility of its kind in the United States.
AB 2235 allows the Port of Long Beach to use alternative construction delivery methods to design and build Pier Wind. The Port of Long Beach sponsored the bill, which was approved in August by the state Senate and Assembly.
Pier Wind would allow for the staging, storage and assembly of some of the world’s largest offshore wind turbines. The fully assembled turbines would be towed by sea from the Port of Long Beach to wind lease areas 20 to 30 miles (32 to 48 kilometres) off the coast of Central and Northern California to help the state and federal government meet their 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 US$4.7 billion project could start as soon as 2027, with the first 200 acres (80 hectares) completed in 2031, and the final 200 acres coming online in 2035.