Front Page  »  

Plans to build industrial port near Avila Beach in peril

December 11, 2025

Early site rendering of example of integration at Port San Luis.

By KAREN VELIE

The company in line to construct an offshore wind maintenance facility in rural Avila Beach terminated its contract with the Port San Luis Harbor District on Dec. 4. Two days earlier, Port San Luis Harbor District commissioners voted to delay plans to accept a $3 million grant to study industrialization of the port.

Part of the $3 million grant, $1.9 million, was slated to go to Clean Energy Terminals to study constructing an industrial facility at Port San Luis.

“Unfortunately, due to unprecedented uncertainties caused by changes in federal energy policy and changes in clean energy industry conditions, we have taken the difficult decision to pause our private-sector development activities related to the project,” according to a Dec. 4 letter from Clean Energy Terminals to the harbor district. “This letter is a formal notification of our decision to terminate the project evaluation agreement.”

Harbor district commissioners had planned to move forward with approval of the grant on Dec. 2, but after listening to public comment the commissioners voted unanimously to delay the vote while two other studies are underway.

While the majority of public speakers were opposed to the project, several speakers argued they needed more information to make an informed opinion.

Opponents of accepting the grant questioned the need for another study before two other studies are finished. Others argued it would be a waste of taxpayer funds to pay for a study while the federal government is planning to put a halt to wind mills off the coast of Morro Bay.

Because we believe the public needs the facts, the truth, CalCoastNews has not put up a paywall because it limits readership. However, we are seeking qualification as a paper of record, which will allow us to publish public notices, this requires 5,000 paid subscribers.

Your subscription will help us to continue investigating and reporting the news.

Support CalCoastNews, subscribe today, click here.

 


Loading...
Subjects:         
Related:


10 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

This was always a complete farce and payoff to the skuzbags on the Port board. Zero point zero chance Coastal Commission would ever approve a huge industrial facility inside tiny Avila Bay which barely has any flat ground as the hills essentially come right down to the ocean.


18

Save the ink too, just say NO.


27

When I look at the picture in the beginning of this article , I can’t believe my eyes! Looks like a place to build battleships or a mini Long Beach container terminal!

Putting a monstrosity like that in Avila?!

Makes about as much sense as putting a landfill in the middle of a golf course or park.

Imagine if was for the oil and gas guys- everybody’s heads would have exploded when it was first proposed! On day one!

Let Avila and the rest of the Central Coast be a sanctuary from industrialization of all kinds.

More studies to try to “sell” this to us?

No thanks.


71

Newsome is silent. Strange, kind of a big deal wind farm for California. Newsome is not a serious leader. Trump owns him.


8

The US is falling behind…


Denmark: World leader in wind energy, getting a huge chunk of electricity from wind and solar.


Germany: Aggressive renewable targets, strong solar and wind, and significant biomass use.


China: Produces the most global renewable electricity, massive solar and wind capacity.


Iceland: Relies heavily on geothermal and hydropower due to unique natural resources.


Costa Rica: Holds records for operating on 100% renewables for extended periods, mostly hydro, wind, and geothermal.


Uruguay: Rapidly increased wind power to dominate its electricity mix.


Norway: Major hydropower producer.


It’s not just energy; other countries are well past us in avg lifespan, cancer/child birth survival rates, etc etc. A decade longer lifespans in some places! Why is the US falling behind? Stubborn stupidity in favor of the corporations ceos making millions.


-20

I totally agree that the profit of our work is going to the CEOs and shareholders of Big Business, creating BILLIONAIRES instead of stable households for our residents. It affects our wallets, our quality of life and even how long we live. We also desperately need to steer towards more real renewables, to even catch up to much of Europe, etc. But this proposed “offshore” facility is NOT GREEN. Not even a little bit. A project is not “green” if it requires such massive, intrusive infrastructure, the risk to wildlife and colossal, highly inefficient units that only work in narrow parameters of conditions. There are better designs, which do not need to be placed in what should be a Marine Sanctuary to work. Smaller, on shore projects make infinitely more sense.


This project sucks. Big time. It is owned, is being promoted (rammed down our throats) by and will profit an oil company.


I know a lot of you don’t like Gov. Newsom, but I think he would be responsive if we approach him directly with just how inappropriate we consider this project to be and join forces to tell him we are having none of it. Oil has always had too much power in this state. I know a lot of you think that’s fine, but it is the large part of what is pushing this project onto us. We need to tell them all “NO!”, in the most definitive way possible. If we tell Newsom we will have his back if he joins us in this fight, I think he will then have the support he needs to be with us on this. IMHO.


0

So go there! Dowanna BE like any of those countries- but feel free to go for it!


6

Does or has Katie Lichtig ever had a role with Harbor District other than running a failed campaign to be elected to the District board that she lost by a landslide?


Appears here LinkedIn acc lists her experience to include the Harbor District. Rather confusing.


44

I speak with some prior knowledge here, the ONLY reason she ever ran for a Harbor District seat was to shove this monstrosity down everyone’s throats. And don’t think that she won’t come back for another bite at the apple. There is a lot of money on the line with this boondoggle, and she wants a piece of the action. No one who opposes this project should get complacent, it isn’t a certainty that it is dead. Stay vigilant. All the people backing this thing own homes down in Shell Beach, out of direct line of sight of this desecration. Stay frosty.


17

Just another lifelong trough feeder.


31