Principle Power hosts CFEE delegation in Portugal to discuss floating wind

25 October 2021
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Last week, the Principle Power team was delighted to host the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy’s (CFEE) delegation of State Senators, Assembly Members and Industry representatives visiting Portugal, over dinner. We discussed our experience of developing leading floating offshore wind technology at home in California and deploying the WindFloat® overseas in Portugal and the UK.

In 2020, Ocean Winds, Repsol and Principle Power accomplished a world’s first and installed the 25 MW WindFloat Atlantic project using our WindFloat® technology. In a year the project has generated over 75 GWh, providing clean electricity to 60.000 homes in Portugal.

Just last week, we completed the commissioning of the Kincardine project with five WindFloat® units hosting five Vestas 9.5 MW turbines. Kincardine is now the largest Floating offshore wind farm in the world and both ground-breaking projects use technology developed in California!

The history of wind in California underlines the importance of good, proactive policy. Many have forgotten, but California was the birthplace of wind energy. We see ambitious targets worldwide and AB525 is an important first step for California the 5th largest economy in the world, which conveniently has nearly 900 miles of shoreline. California has a real opportunity to show leadership both on a regional and global level.

Aaron Smith
Chief Commercial Officer, Principle Power
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Floating offshore wind is now fully proven and the industry stands ready to play a key role in helping California achieve its SB-100 goals. With the right vision and support, this industry has the potential to be an economic engine for California far into the next century.

Amisha Patel
Head of Public Affairs, Principle Power

With COP26 coming up in Glasgow next month, we have an opportunity to continue the dialogue and shape policy to make floating offshore wind a reality for coastal communities around the world. We look forward to continuing our engagement with policymakers interested in our experience this far.