The Port of Long Beach has been awarded $20 million by the California Energy Commission to fund the ongoing development of Pier Wind, a proposed 400-acre terminal to assemble and deploy floating offshore wind turbines.
As the largest recipient of the agency’s Offshore Wind Energy Waterfront Facility Improvement Program from state bond funding, the Port of Long Beach will match $11 million to complete engineering, environmental, business planning and community outreach requirements needed to begin construction on Pier Wind.
The proposed $4.7 billion facility aims to help California meet a goal of generating 25 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy by 2045 – enough to power 25 million homes statewide.
The grant funding came from Proposition 4, the climate bond measure approved in 2024 by California voters, which set aside $475 million for port infrastructure projects connected to offshore wind development.
The Port of Long Beach will seek additional Proposition 4 proceeds for Pier Wind as the state releases those funds.
Pier Wind would allow for the staging, storage and assembly of some of the world’s largest offshore wind turbines, reported the port.
The fully assembled turbines would be towed by sea from the Port of Long Beach to wind lease areas 20 to 30 miles off the coast in Central and Northern California.
The proposed project is undergoing extensive environmental review by local, state and federal regulatory agencies as the Port of Long Beach gathers input from the community.
Construction could start as soon as 2027, with the first 200 acres completed in 2031, and the final 200 acres coming online in 2035.
A recent preliminary economic impact report found that Pier Wind could create more than 6,000 jobs and generate $8 billion in labour income, $14.5 billion in economic output, and $1.3 billion in state and local taxes between now and 2045.
READ: Mario Cordero to retire as Port of Long Beach CEO in 2025
Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero, said: “Our Pier Wind project will ensure California’s offshore wind energy goals are achieved.
“We thank the California Energy Commission for funding the Pier Wind project, which will enhance the nation’s energy independence and strengthen the electric grid to support electrification investments across the supply chain.”
READ: All containers recovered in Port of Long Beach incident
Long Beach Harbor Commission President, Frank Colonna, stated: “California’s offshore wind energy goals cannot be achieved without onshore development at port facilities like Pier Wind, which will create thousands of manufacturing jobs across the US.
“We are grateful for this state funding to make offshore wind a part of California’s energy portfolio.”
