Port of Humboldt Bay to get $10.5 million in offshore wind upgrades

Developing California offshore wind will demand floating turbines: An artist’s rendering of the 12 MW floating wind turbine concept GE Research and Glosten are designing as part of a project with ARPA-E. [Image Glosten]

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a $10.5 million grant for renovations at the Port of Humboldt Bay in Eureka, Calif.

The upgrades will support offshore wind activities in an area designated for development on the north coast. Once renovated, the new Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal will be capable of handling large heavy cargo vessels, offshore wind floating platform development and integration and decommissioning, and other maritime activities.

The terminal is expected to initially support the development of up to 1.6 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind in the Humboldt call area, enough electricity to power up to 1.6 million California homes.

“I’m excited by the opportunity to partner with the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District in their pursuit of revitalizing their port to support the necessary infrastructure for deploying ocean based clean energy resources that will benefit Californians,” said CEC Commissioner Kourtney Vaccaro. “Offshore wind is an important part of the state’s clean electricity future, providing critical supply at night to complement our abundant solar resources.”

The project is expected to revitalize the waterfront industry in Humboldt County. An economic assessment found that the terminal could generate as many as 830 local jobs and more than $130 million in industry output over a five-year period.

“Humboldt Bay has the optimal conditions to serve as the primary port for the offshore wind industry for the entire West Coast,” said Harbor District Board President Greg Dale. “We are fully dedicated to prepare our port for this remarkable opportunity and we are honored to be working with the California Energy Commission to launch California into the future of energy production.”

Activities funded by this grant include completing preliminary engineering and design work, conducting site surveys and special studies, preparing necessary environmental impact assessments, implementing early construction, and initiating environmental mitigation measures. The funds may also be used to attract matching funds from Federal grants and to contribute towards project construction.

The funding was approved as part of the 2021–2022 California state budget.