California Energy Commission News

Five developers selected to build the first floating wind farms in U.S. federal watersTo support the California Energy Commission’s planning goals of 2-5 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045 as well as a federal target to deploy 15 GW of floating wind by 2035, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has concluded the auction date for five 33-year leases offshore California. Exhibit 1 summarizes the outcome of the auction and estimates the potential of the lease areas using BOEMs standard power density formula of 3 MW per square kilometer…

Crowley signed an agreement on Thursday with the Port of Humboldt Bay to exclusively negotiate to be the developer and operator of a terminal to serve as California’s first hub for offshore wind energy installations. Through Crowley’s Wind Services group, the company will enter into negotiations with the port to lease and serve as the port’s developer of the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal. The services provided will support tenants in the manufacturing, installation and operation of offshore wind floating platforms…

California on Wednesday set ambitious new targets for offshore wind development, saying turbines along its storied coastline would power some 25 million homes by 2050.In a unanimous vote, the five-member California Energy Commission (CEC) adopted a goal of 3,000 to 5,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2030 and 25,000 MW by 2045, the agency said in a statement.California has among the most aggressive climate change goals in the country, but its foray into offshore wind has lagged that of East Coast states like New York…

California Energy Commission has awarded Aker Solutions and Cognite a $2 million grant for a project called NextWind Real-Time Condition Monitoring.The project is focused on next-generation solutions in wind through digitalization and aims to develop a holistic digital solution that will enable monitoring the condition of an offshore floating wind farm and its impact on the environment via live data streaming.Aker Solutions, partnering with Cognite, was selected for the grant award as part of the California Energy Commission's Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC).

A group of offshore wind industry members that includes Equinor, Magellan Wind and Principle Power have launched an offshore wind group in California.The Offshore Wind California (OWC) said it is  committed to providing industry expertise, innovative solutions, and a dedicated voice for offshore wind in California.OWC is poised to lead the promotion of responsible and sustainable deployment of offshore wind power in the state's energy system.California is well-positioned to break out as the next investment hot spot for America's booming offshore wind industry, which is taking off with more than 22 gigawatts (GW) in commitments by East Coast states and $70 billion in supply chain spending by 2030…

California Dreamin': In CA, offshore wind has unlimited potentialWhen it comes to States promoting renewable, non-fossil electricity generation, California surely leads the list, from utility-scale regional grids to individual rooftop solar panels.In fact, a December 2018 update from the California Energy Commission (CEC) estimates the state may already have exceeded an initial renewable generation goal of 33% by 2020. CEC estimates that in 2018 that generation number was already 34%.

Kalmar's new all-electric terminal tractor is helping the Port of Long Beach (POLB) meet its eco-efficiency objectives while satisfying the commercial demands of the users of the second-busiest container seaport in the US.According to a press release from Kalmar, a part of Cargotec Corporation, POLB  in California handles trade worth in excess of $180bn from 175 shipping lines connecting to 217 seaports around the world. In 2017, more than 7.5 million container units passed through the port.US port operators are increasingly demanding more environmentally friendly machines and Californian ports have taken a lead in this respect by setting a target of having fully electric fleets by 2030.Ports present some unique environmental challenges given their frequent proximity to residential areas.

Officials from the Port of Long Beach, Southern California Edison and the California Energy Commission today launched the nation’s largest pilot project for zero-emissions cranes and other cargo-handling equipment for seaports. Funded mostly by a $9.7 million grant from the California Energy Commission, the project will bring 25 vehicles that are zero- or near zero-emissions to Port of Long Beach marine terminals for one year to test their performance in a real-world setting. The launch event was held at Pacific Container Terminal at Long Beach’s Pier J — operated by SSA Terminals — one of three terminals participating in the project.

Through a presidential proclamation, October has been designated as Energy Action Month to stress the importance of energy for our nation's economic vitality today and for a sustainable future. The Department of Navy's Energy Action Month theme for 2016 is "Power. Presence." This theme illustrates the strong connection between the Navy and Marine Corps' wise use of energy and our ability to be when and where we're needed for national security and humanitarian assistance missions worldwide. In honor of Energy Action Month, naval commands and organizations are demonstrating their commitment to energy resiliency by reducing energy consumption and promoting awareness of energy as an enabler of combat capability.

As part of a Community Mitigation Grants Program, the Port of Long Beach has awarded the Long Beach Rescue Mission a $176,045 grant to install solar photovoltaic panels for electricity generation at their 1335 Pacific Ave. facility. The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approved the grant at its March 31 regular meeting. The community grants program, designed to improve public health by lessening the impacts of Port-related air pollution, has awarded over $17 million since 2009.

At an event in Eugene recently, Michael O. Leavitt, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency helped kick-off the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority’s announcement of $1.475 million in diesel emission reductions investments for Oregon. The EPA is contributing $600,000 to these efforts. The projects will fund efforts to reduce emissions from idling trucks up and down Oregon’s I-5 corridor, retrofit school buses throughout the state, and improve accessibility and affordability of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. truck-idling reduction to school bus retrofits infrastructure to purchase, install and maintain small auxiliary engines that use up to 90 percent less diesel and emit 75 percent less air pollution than idling trucks.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued his formal disapproval to United States Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton for the licensing of the BHP “Cabrillo Port” LNG deepwater port planned for construction off the coast of Ventura County, California. The Governor did however make it clear that he supports the state’s need for an increased LNG supply. While I believe strongly that California needs to expand its access to natural gas resources, specifically Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), I am disapproving this application based on my review of the Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) that are required by state and federal law, respectively.