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Morro Bay offshore wind farm leases set for auction in December

October 19, 2022

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A lease auction for five offshore wind development areas, three of which are off the coast of San Luis Obispo County, will take place on Dec. 6. [GV Wire]

The Dec. 6 lease sale will mark the first United States auction for commercial-scale floating offshore wind development. It will also be the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind energy on the West Coast, Biden Administration officials say.

Last year, the federal Department of the Interior, in coordination with the Department of Defense, identified a 399-square-mile area northwest of Morro Bay as a location that will support three gigawatts of offshore wind. The federal agency also announced it was advancing wind energy projects located offshore of Humboldt County.

Then in May, the Biden Administration announced plans to auction five offshore areas for wind development, three of which are northwest of Morro Bay and two of which are off of Humboldt County. The Department of the Interior publicized a proposed sale notice for the commercial wind energy leases offshore of Morro Bay and Humboldt County, with proposed auction prices starting at $8 million each.

A final sale notice for the auction will outline the lease terms for the five offshore wind areas. The lease terms will include stipulations to promote a domestic supply chain and to create union jobs.

“We’re not just committed to the country’s transition to a clean energy economy, one that combats climate change, creates good-paying jobs and ensures economic opportunities are accessible to all,” Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Director Amanda Lefton said. “We’re actually taking action and driving results.”

The five wind areas off the coast of California are expected to power more than 1.5 million homes and create thousands of new jobs, Lefton said.


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I love how the same people who support the expansion of offshore oil drilling suddenly become huge environmentalists who care so deeply about pollution, harming wildlife, and ruining fishing when it comes to wind farms.


-13

I love how these selective environmentalists go ballistic over a cigarette butt or a piece of trash on the beach but are more than okay with this disruptive plan on a much larger scale to the potential damages to many levels of our oceans.

Why not take this same desire and place these same wind turbines in the Mojave Desert or other inland wind prone areas of eastern California? The same jobs will be created, the same projected energy production, not to mention the increase revenue to many communities in those areas that could sure use it.

The damage to the environment would be far less impactful across the board. It would be much more cost effective inland than the ocean just when it comes to maintenance alone. The actual initial construction would be far less, and much safer for those doing the work. The constant marine air would be more destructive to the turbines than the dry heat zones of the desert. A much better fit with the same potential benefits desired by these green energy lovers.


12

“Why not take this same desire and place these same wind turbines in the Mojave Desert ”


The damage to the environment would be far less with floating wind turbines built in Long Beach and floated into place and connected to a already built grid connection at Morro Bay.


The massive concrete foundations required for a 200′ tower and all the trenching in a area not known for wind (compared to offshore) is far more impact. But the math and economics does not matter right? Just say no to everything “they” suggest.


-4

Sorry, but I spent many moons in Mojave Desert area. The wind howls through there throughout the year.

I don’t think I said no to the green dreamer’s utopia desire. I just provided an alternative. I question whose opinion is seared in the name of no compromise. There’s more than one way to go about things, especially here.


5

If Oil rigs killed as many raptors, millions per year, their oil covered pictures would be on the cover of Time and leading CNN every day, but sadly no one knows or cares because these deaths of birds are ok because of green money. Fact is oil can be used and extracted very safely here in the US, and it is a shame and disgrace Biden has turned it off. Don’t tell me the figures that show he has allowed more oil leases, those were approved during the last days of the previous administration. Biden stated he wants to shut down oil during the campaign, and that is what he has done, yet he condemns the Saudis for cutting production? What a hypocrite!


8

“oil covered pictures would be on the cover of Time” Yes, like this?

“turned it off.” No.

“Don’t tell me the figures” Math not allowed, noted.

“Saudis for cutting production?” Yes, to raise the price you pay now that they own the largest refinery (and more) in America. All part of the saudis plan.

“these deaths of birds are ok” Fun fact, Far less birds over the ocean beyond the horizon.


“Anything Biden is bad” Lol


-5

230,000 birds TOTAL are killed by all wind farms in existence right now, compare that to an estimated 2 MILLION killed by one single oil spill (Deepwater Horizon). Wanna try again with that “extracted very safely here” joke? Any way you slice it, oil is a dirty polluter up and down the chain from drilling, extraction, transport, refinement, consumption and disposal even if there are zero “accidents”. Ask any resident of Avila 20 years ago about how wonderful oil is. Anyone trying to claim oil in any way as clean as wind needs to put down that crack pipe. It’s obvious that right wing nut jobs have a violent allergic reaction to anything that might be green and good for the environment.


-6

My guess is there will be no bidders, or bidders will be some kind of government subsidized entity. From what I have observed, wind farms are tough to keep operational on land, and it fantastical thinking to believe they will be serviceable in an extreme corrosive salt water environment accessible subject to rough seas and weather events. The bird kill if far different than from “cats” that perhaps kill a lot of songbirds the wind turbines kill large raptors in significant numbers and they seem to kill human as there seems to be a link between cancer and their locations that has not been revealed.


2

Downtown Bob said: “and it fantastical thinking to believe they will be serviceable in an extreme corrosive salt water environment accessible subject to rough seas and weather events.”


The growing offshore wind energy growth will be stopped by some corrosion?


“Global Offshore Wind Report 2020 from World Forum Offshore Wind (WFO), which reports that 5,206 MW of offshore wind capacity went into operation during 2020, compared to 5,194 MW in 2019.


“This translates into an annual growth rate of 19,1% for the global offshore wind industry, which is particularly impressive given the international disruptions caused by COVID-19”, WFO states.”


“A record +18GW of offshore wind capacity was installed during 2021,”


-1

Natural gas and small, modern nuclear plants, along with some degree of solar and wind is the answer. Most experts agree that there is easily, 300-400 years of RELATIVELY clean burning natural gas in this country. Unfortunately the current administration in the White House is held hostage by the far (woke) left and is not willing to do the right thing. The FACT is; a few years ago we were exporting energy, now we are begging tyrants to sell it to us. All because this administration and the National Democratic Party has declared war on the American fossil fuel industry. This is a fact and is not refutable.


https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/natural-gas-and-the-environment.php


21

“now we are begging tyrants to sell it to us.” No, we are selling America to the tyrants and it was not the “left” approving the sale of Americas Largest refinery.”Aramco’s deal allows the oil giant to shore up one of its best customers — the US — ahead of next year’s planned IPO. Now that it controls the largest American refinery, Aramco can send more Saudi crude into the US for refining to sell to North American drivers.”


As for our power, nuclear plants will never be cost effective again, wind, solar, storage with some ng peaker plants and a little diablo as a treat. The rest is projection.


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