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Plans to industrialize Port San Luis in rural Avila Beach moving forward

July 23, 2024

Port San Luis

By KAREN VELIE

Plans to transform Port San Luis in rural Avila Beach into an industrial port to support proposed offshore wind farms in Morro Bay are moving forward with the assistance of the Port San Luis Harbor District, though most of the discussions have been held in closed session out of public view.

For years, harbor district staff has discussed plans to industrialize the port, though most negotiations have been in closed session with little information available to the public. On Tuesday evening, the harbor district board will meet in closed session to discuss leasing 10 acres of the tidelands to a company associated with off shore wind energy.

Even though several members of the public have argued the district is violating requirements to provide either the address, assessors parcel number or property description in order to discuss lease agreements in closed session, the district has failed to provide a property description other than it is in the tidelands.

The tidelands refers to the approximately 8,400 areas of the coastline that is under the control of the harbor district.

The harbor district is considering an up to 75-year contract for Clean Energy Terminals to lease 10 acres of the tidelands. The company plans to pay $25,000 for the first six months as it evaluates the area for support for off-shore wind energy planned off Morro Bay.

The proposed project evaluation agreement includes the following provisions:

• The parties will collaborate in good faith to evaluate the feasibility of a potential operations and maintenance port project anticipated to require up to 10 acres of tidelands.
• The parties will negotiate in good faith on a lease option agreement for consideration if a project is determined to be mutually feasible.
• Any decision on whether to proceed with a project and whether to enter into a lease option agreement with Clean Energy Terminals would be subject to separate approval by the Harbor District’s Board.
• As consideration for the project evaluation agreement, Clean Energy Terminals proposes an initial payment of $25,000 for the first six months, and then $4,100 for each additional month. Clean Energy Terminals  also proposes a one-time administrative support payment of $9,000 to assist with district staffing of the evaluation project.

In Dec. 2022, an auction for three offshore wind energy sites located off the coast near Morro Bay netted over $400 million. The wind turbines will float in the ocean more than 20 miles off the coast, with the electricity sent ashore via cables along the ocean floor.

The goal is to have the windmills in the water by 2030.

Industrialization of the proposed Central Coast ports will have significant impacts on the local economy and its ocean-dependent ecosystems. The support systems on land will include massive piers, and could require new breakwaters and dredging.

Site rendering of example of integration at Port San Luis. Breakwater may or may not be required.

The offshore windmills themselves are 1,000 feet tall, taller than the Golden Gate Bridge, and their platforms are the size of a baseball field.

While the report discusses providing funding to help mitigate the environment and economic issues these ports could create, locals involved in the tourism industry have grave concerns regarding transforming Morro Bay or Port San Luis into industrial ports.

 


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I find it fascinating that in another story here, a guy who wants to build a handful of affordable condos in San Simeon, who has jumped through countless hoops and spent no doubt thousands of dollars, has been told No, can’t do this; but a huge corporation that wants to industrialize Port San Luis, build 1000 foot tall turbines, disrupt local industries, kill migratory birds, and add traffic congestion and a host of other impacts – well that’s OK?


18

$$$$ All of us will be paying the price for this one! I guess they could really care less about how its going to impact our communities. $$$$


8

After hearing about how the public hearing was handled on July 23rd, its time to take a hard look at the board of commissioners and replace those who are not serving the community and their interests. First, Bob Vessly, who represents the San Luis Obispo area is the current president and ran the meeting. According to attendees, he arbitrarily enforced the 2-minute public comment limit, depending on who was speaking. He was reported to have rolled his eyes during several of the speakers and was also reported to be extremely unprofessional. Vessly was also the commissioner that has cost the harbor district over $250,000 in settlements/costs due to his brown act violations and harassment of district employees. Someone from the SLO area needs to actively run against Vessly in November. Two other terms are also up, Jim Blecha who represents the Pismo Beach area and also voted yes to industrialize the port and Bill Barrow who represents the Grover Beach area and voted NO on industrialization. If the commission is not going to listen to the public they serve, then replacement is crucial.


55

Thanks Bruce Gibson.


10

Not sure if people know this, but we are way past peak oil. Meaning demand keeps rising, while supply is decreasing. Only a matter of time before oil supply is depleted. If we don’t build facilities now, they will never be built. Wind turbines, solar farms, battery plants all rely on vehicles and machinery that use petroleum based products. They are built with materials that are petroleum based product. What do you think plastics, polymers, and cements are made from? People keep wanting to rely less on foreign goods, but don’t want battery plants and wind farms. Will it take oil platforms just off our shores for people to wake up?


As oil supply dwindles, they’ll prioritize needs. They’ll likely shift production to diesel fuel, as semi-trucks need to continue hauling. Passenger cars and trucks use will have to be limited to local use only, only if you can afford the fuel. We probably shift from a manufacturing society to recycling/renew society. We owe it to our children. We need to think ahead and give them as much resources we can before the Big Suck or TEOTWAWKI/SHTF. I just hope that it doesn’t occur while I’m still alive, but Murphy’s Law says otherwise.


-58

Have you been to the Earths core to confirm this?


37

Let’s not forget the breakwater at PSL and MB are owned and maintained by the Federal government to provide safe harbor for commerce. Avila Beach and Morro Bay were oil terminals prior to the fishing and tourist trade.


9

Port and Avila began as a whaling village (Harford pier used to be twice as long, and only accessible by train), Morro Bay has always been a fishing town, long before the paleface arrived, due to the natural harbor.


17

Bring back the otter hunters before it’s too late.


-3

Not Morro Bay, Estero Bay, which has no breakwater or piers. Morro Bay was never an oil terminal. Estero Bay had a pipeline connection for tankers anchored well offshore.


26

Morro Bay was never an oil terminal. There were oil/fuel tanker moorings in Estero Bay just off the old Chevron pier north of the city near Cayucos that is no longer there. But again, that wasn’t in Morro Bay and except for a local tug service (Sylvester’s) and a few other businesses the tanker moorings had a modest impact on the economy of the town.


7

I have no clue why people are up in arms over this. This whole county was gentrified 2 decades ago, and Avila and every place is so far removed of what I remember as a child. Oh no; millionaires mansions! There is a nuclear plant over there, and people get mad about a port, but don’t care about tourism and wealth totally collapsing our economy anyways? This is Nimbyism hypocrisy per usual here in SLO.


-49

This is going to permanently disrupt the local fishery, halibut in particular. Traffic to and from the site will be dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists, and will cause even worse congestion during tourist season. Cal Poly is still studying of offshore wind-farms are causing marine mammal die-offs.


These meetings are being held in private because everyone involved knows this will be detrimental to the community. Disgusting.


49

Block this garbage, Look what happened in Nantucket residents are outraged after a damaged wind turbine riddled their beaches with debris — https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/07/18/nantucket-residents-are-outraged-after-debris-from-a-damaged-wind-turbine-riddles-their-beaches/


39
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