Governor Newsom Signs Bill Expediting Pier Wind Project In Long Beach
LONG BEACH, CA — Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a bill Monday that would allow the Port of Long Beach to speed up the process of creating a 400-acre terminal of floating offshore wind turbines.
Assembly Bill 2234, authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, will reduce the costs and accelerate the time to complete the proposed Pier Wind project. After completion, Pier Wind will be the largest facility of its kind in the U.S. and would help California meet its goals for renewable energy sources.
"Pier Wind will help the state meet climate goals, create jobs and economic opportunities for local communities, and establish a new green energy industry along the West Coast," said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero.
In addition to creating new green energy jobs in Southern California, Pier Wind would enable other sectors of the supply chain to create jobs as well to support offshore wind projects.
Pier Wind would allow for the staging and assembly of some of the world's largest offshore wind turbines, standing as tall as the Eiffel Tower. The fully assembled turbines would be towed by sea from the port of Long Beach to wind lease areas along the central and northern coast.
"Offshore wind is a key component of California's clean energy future," Assemblymember Lowenthal said. "The Pier Wind project is an important extension of the smart growth efforts at our ports and will dramatically increase good paying jobs, improve air quality, and mitigate negative impacts to the surrounding Long Beach communities."
Extensive environmental review is underway, conducted by local, state and federal regulatory agencies as the Port gathers community input. If approved, construction of the $4.7 billion project could start as early as 2027 and would be completed in 2035.
