The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has completed an initial review of a lease request from Trident Winds, for an up to 800 MW floating wind project offshore Morro Bay in California (United States) and concluded that the project was legally, technically, and financially qualified to hold an offshore wind energy lease in federal waters.
US renewable power project developer Trident Winds started negotiations with the city of Morro Bay in California to install around 100 floating wind turbines of 8 MW each off the city in September 2015 and filed a lease request with the BOEM in January 2016. The proposal may be expanded to generate 1,000 MW at a later date, if additional transmission capacity and market off-take can be obtained.
If developed, the project could help California to reach its renewable targets. The State aims to increase the share of renewable in the power mix from 33% to 50% by 2030 and to halve the consumption of petroleum by cars and trucks. In September 2015, the state's renewable portfolio standard (RPS) was raised from 33% by 2020 to 50% by 2030 (including interim targets for 2024 and 2027).
To date, BOEM has awarded eleven commercial wind energy leases in federal waters off the Atlantic coast, including nine leases issued as a result of competitive lease sales (two leases in an area offshore Rhode Island-Massachusetts, two offshore Massachusetts, two offshore New Jersey, two offshore Maryland, and one offshore Virginia).
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