California Offshore Wind

In 2023 through 2024, CLEE is planning a focus on Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) in the OSW context. As leaseholders and stakeholders begin to negotiate CBAs, what are the key elements of a successful CBA? How can California OSW CBAs set a model for future projects in the state and beyond? CLEE plans to explore these and other questions through roundtable discussions and policy research. As this new-to-California industry takes shape, it is crucial to continue robust, inclusive stakeholder engagement and to coordinate efforts so that offshore wind delivers more than just gigawatts to California’s communities. Check back here throughout the year for additional information and publications.

In 2021, CLEE published a report, “Envisioning Offshore Wind for California,” that provided recommended actions for the state planning process. These findings were based on conversations with select stakeholders throughout 2020 and early 2021, including two small stakeholder forums. In response to findings from the 2021 report, CLEE spearheaded a California offshore wind stakeholder engagement forum in 2022 intended to provide information to and foster conversation between a broad array of stakeholders, including tribal and state government representatives, environmental advocates, fishing community representatives, local government representatives and staff, wind developers, environmental justice advocates, labor union representatives, and others. The stakeholder forum sessions included: an overarching introduction to OSW, a session on federal lease stipulations, a primer on transmission infrastructure, and an overview of perspectives and lessons learned from OSW projects in Europe and along the US East Coast. In 2022, CLEE engaged more than 100 stakeholders to discuss California offshore wind planning and development through these sessions as well as individual interviews and outreach.