The Coastal Commission conducted reviews of consistency determinations (CDs) from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of proposed lease areas in federal waters of the North and Central Coasts. The documents below are meant to provide the interested public with information on these CDs, any issues arising from the review, and some information received from the federal agency as part of this review process. The Commission conditionally concurred with BOEM’s CD for the Humboldt Wind Energy Area in April 2022, and conditionally concurred with BOEM’s CD for the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area in June 2022. Adopted findings for both hearings are available in the links below.
On September 9, 2021, Commission staff provided an informational briefing on the process of federal consistency review for the proposed offshore wind lease sale. A recording of the briefing is available under Item 7a on the September agenda (time stamp 1:08:22 on the video archive).
With the new development of California’s offshore wind resources in the coming years, comprehensive analysis of potential impacts and a commitment to environmental monitoring and adaptive management are central to ensuring coastal resource protection while also expanding the state’s renewable energy portfolio. The following two-pager provides insight into California's offshore wind energy resources, highlighting the Commission's role in reviewing impacts, the status of the state's two current wind energy areas, and the ongoing coordination efforts with other state agencies.
