Redwood Coast Offshore Wind Project

In 2018, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) ran a competitive tender to select a partner to form a public-private partnership for the development of a floating wind project in Northern California. The RCEA selected a consortium led by Principle Power and including Ocean Winds, Aker Offshore Wind, H. T. Harvey & Associates, and Herrera Environmental Consultants Inc. 

The resulting public-private partnership is now developing a 150 MW floating wind farm 40 km off the coast of Eureka, CA (Humboldt County), that will use the WindFloat® technology to access a site with waters up to 900 meters deep.

Humboldt County offers an ideal location for offshore wind, featuring the best wind speeds on the West Coast, clocking in at well over 10 m/s.  

Since the formation of the public-private partnership, the partners are working with stakeholders, including fisherman, tribes, environmentalists, and regulatory authorities to identify the most suitable location for the project. The proposed project site, which will feature between 5 and 15 wind turbines depending on project and wind turbine size, avoids or minimizes impacts on marine navigation corridors, major commercial fishing areas, and environmental resources while maximizing power generation potential thanks to the siting flexibility offered by the WindFloat® platform technology.

RCEA and the consortium submitted an unsolicited lease application to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, which attracted competitive interest from 14 offshore wind developers. The project is now preparing for a competitive auction to secure a seabed lease. 

The project is expected to drive significant investment in local infrastructure at the Port of Humboldt Bay, which can become the leading hub for the offshore wind industry on the West Coast of the United States, requiring skilled labor and thus creating significant local economic benefits.