Over the last two years, the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF) has worked with over two hundred scientists — in coordination with the California Ocean Protection Council and California Department of Fish and Wildlife — to develop a statewide Environmental Monitoring Framework for floating offshore wind development. This framework provides a science-based foundation to guide the development of site-specific monitoring plans for species, habitats, and oceanographic processes that may be affected by floating offshore wind in California. It identifies potential environmental impacts from OSW development, proposes relevant monitoring questions, and reviews available and emerging monitoring tools.
Join us on June 23 for a discussion with CMSF and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on monitoring recommendations and other next steps.
This talk is a production of the Pacific Offshore Wind Consortium. For more information on POWC, please visit powc.us.
For questions about this webinar or to request technical or accessibility support, please contact schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or call 707-826-4345.
For more information, contact: schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or 707-826-4345.
Important note: The Schatz Center is committed to providing research that is accessible to everyone. If you encounter any barriers while using this document or require the information in an alternative format, please contact us at schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or 707-826-4345.
Upcoming webinar: Join us for a public webinar on June 17, at 12:00 pm PST, to explore findings from this memo and learn more about the MoorSea project– an ongoing CEC-funded project related to sensor package development and detection of marine entanglements. Presenters will include Dr. Arne Jacobson, Dr. Maysam Mousaviraad, Eli Wallach, and Greyson Adams.
“Ghost gear” is the evocative term for lost, discarded and abandoned fishing gear found in the marine and coastal environment. This gear can create multiple hazards for marine life.
Secondary entanglement refers to situations where ghost gear becomes entangled with existing infrastructure – creating a new entanglement hazard. The Schatz Center is leading research efforts to support advancements in environmental monitoring for mooring lines used to anchor floating offshore wind farms. Our goal is to expand the capacity of underwater sensors and remote operated vehicles to detect (a) primary entanglements between ghost gear and mooring lines, and (b) secondary entanglements between mooring-line-entangled ghost gear and transiting marine species. Our study focus is the deepwater environment of the Humboldt and Morro Bay Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) off the coast of Northern and Central California.
In order to assess detectability, we first need to characterize: (i) species of concern within these areas, (ii) ghost gear found within this region, and (iii) the metocean environment within the WEAs. (Note: metocean data is key for evaluating the sensor-signal to background noise ratio.)
Our first report, prepared by the Schatz Center and our partner colleagues at H.T. Harvey & Associates for the MoorSEA project, provides a high-level overview of the environmental and biological data associated with the Humboldt and Morro Bay WEAs.
For more information, contact: schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or 707-826-4345.
Important note: The Schatz Center is committed to providing research that is accessible to everyone. If you encounter any barriers while using this document or require the information in an alternative format, please contact us at schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or 707-826-4345.
We invite you to join us for a presentation by Vincent Ialenti, on Thursday, April 30 @ 5:30 pm in BSS 166 at Cal Poly Humboldt (next to the Native American Forum). This event is free and open to the public, and ADA accessible parking is available in the lot immediately to the south of the Native Forum building. For questions or accessibility requests, please contact schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or call 707-826-4345.
America’s Nuclear Waste Gridlock and the Future of the Humboldt Bay Spent Fuel Site
The United States has generated more than 90,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel but still lacks a permanent underground repository to store it. As a result, nuclear waste remains stranded at more than seventy sites across the country — including the Humboldt Bay spent fuel storage installation — while federal policy has cycled through decades of stalled initiatives, legal constraints, and partisan policy realignments.
Drawing on his experience as a senior program manager in the U.S. Department of Energy (2022–2025) and more than fifteen years of research on nuclear institutions, anthropologist Vincent Ialenti examines the legal, financial, and cultural forces that have kept the U.S. nuclear waste program in a prolonged state of gridlock. Taking Humboldt Bay as a local reference point, Ialenti situates the North Coast site within the broader national challenge of governing radioactive materials with half-lives extending millions of years into the distant future. The talk explores how societies attempt to make credible intergenerational promises about safety, stewardship, and justice — and why such promises have proven difficult to sustain amid the rapid tempos of American political culture.
About the speaker
Vincent Ialenti is an anthropologist who explores how nuclear institutions govern time, engage publics, and sustain continuity across uncertain futures. During the Biden Administration, he served as a senior program manager in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, where he led the Consent-Based Siting Consortia: a $24m national program advancing community participation in siting spent nuclear fuel storage facilities. Prior to his federal service, Ialenti was a MacArthur Assistant Research Professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and held fellowships at USC, University of British Columbia, and Cornell University’s Society for the Humanities. He is now on the research faculty of Cal Poly Humboldt’s Department of Environmental Studies.
Ialenti is the author of Deep Time Reckoning (MIT Press, 2020) and Longstorming (MIT Press, forthcoming). His work has been featured by the BBC, Scientific American, NPR, Forbes, and other outlets. His research has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and The Berggruen Institute. Ialenti holds a PhD from Cornell University and a MSc from the London School of Economics.
Our latest report estimates the ratepayer impacts over time associated with developing major new infrastructure – including a substation and two 500kV transmission lines – to enable offshore wind power from the Humboldt Wind Energy Area to reach the broader California electric grid.
This analysis focuses on the two transmission projects approved by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO): (i) a new 500 kV substation, plus a transmission line connecting the Humboldt Bay region to the Collinsville substation (near Pittsburg), and (ii) a second 500 kV line, extending from Humboldt Bay to the Fern Road substation (northeast of Redding). These projects are currently scheduled to come online by the end of 2034. The sponsor (developer) for both projects is California Grid Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Viridon Holdings LLC (Viridon).
Our findings show that Viridon’s recoverable costs, when spread across all customers on the CAISO-managed grid over the expected 50-year project lifetime, result in an estimated average cost to ratepayers of $0.28/MWh – or approximately $1.68 per year for the average California household (in 2025 dollars).
As shown below, ratepayer costs associated with this transmission development are expected to peak in 2035 (when the projects come online) at $0.75/MWh – $4.52/year for the average household – and decline steadily to $0.03/MWh by 2083.
Figure 1: Ratepayer impact over time in 2025 dollars (10-year rolling averages)
Important note: The Schatz Center is committed to providing research that is accessible to everyone. If you encounter any barriers while using this document or require the information in an alternative format, please contact us at schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or 707-826-4345.
When: Wednesday, January 14, from 5:30–7:30 pm (presentation will begin promptly at 5:30 pm; doors will open at 5:10 pm)
Where: Wharfinger Building, located at 1 Marina Way Eureka, CA 95501
Who: Everyone is invited to attend this free event!
How are coastal community members thinking about offshore wind? What are the primary interests and concerns – and how do these vary within and between West Coast port towns? Are local residents engaging in “community benefit agreement” planning – and if so, how do they feel about these processes? Do residents have access to clear, accurate, and current information about wind development plans and opportunities within their own community?
Over the past two years, researchers from Oregon State University (OSU), along with partners from the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, the University of Washington, the University of Delaware, and the University of Maine, have conducted a study on community perspectives on offshore wind development. On the West Coast, the team has interviewed and surveyed residents in three coastal communities – Humboldt Bay, California; Coos Bay, Oregon; and Westport, Washington – to better understand the emerging themes and differences along the coastal region.
The community is invited to join the OSU and Schatz Center teams for a discussion of their preliminary findings, on Wednesday, January 14, from 5:30–7:30 pm at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka. Presenters will include Julia Bingham of Oregon State, and Tanner Etherton and Lauren Hart of the Schatz Center. The presentation will begin promptly at 5:30 pm; doors will open at 5:10 pm.
This event is free and open to the public, and pizza and drinks will be provided. Please note that the discussion will not be filmed or live streamed, although a summary of findings will be available in mid-2026. For questions or accessibility requests, please contact schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or call 707-826-4345.
Join us for a discussion of current workforce development efforts to prepare Northern California Tribes and local communities for jobs in the offshore wind and related renewable energy sectors. Presentations will include findings from Humboldt County’s Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment, commissioned by the Humboldt County Workforce Development Board, a Board of the County of Economic Development Division, and from a recent Schatz Center report on professional labor demand in California’s floating offshore wind industry. Presenters will also highlight workforce development programs helping to prepare community members for offshore wind jobs, including the Ta’m Resiliency Campus at Blue Lake Rancheria and the Humboldt Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) Apprenticeship Readiness Program.
Presenters:
Andy Logan, Head of Industry Development, US, Xodus – Humboldt County Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment
Tanner Etherton, Economic Analyst & Offshore Wind Extension Specialist, Schatz Energy Research Center, Cal Poly Humboldt – Professional Labor Report & POWC workforce initiatives
Heidi Moore-Guynup, Director of Tribal and Government Affairs, Blue Lake Rancheria – Ta’m Resiliency Campus and workforce development in renewable energy
Andie Rix, Workforce and Economic Development Specialist, University Advancement, Cal Poly Humboldt – Humboldt Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) Apprenticeship Readiness Program
This talk is a production of the Pacific Offshore Wind Consortium. For more information on POWC, please visit powc.us.
For questions about this webinar or to request technical or accessibility support, please contact schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or call 707-826-4345.
About the POWC
This webinar is being hosted by the Pacific Offshore Wind Consortium (POWC, pronounced pow-sea), which is a joint effort between three research centers: the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, the Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University, and the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. These universities are all housed in and supported by the coastal communities that are anticipated to host floating offshore wind development. Together, the consortium aims to advance three pillars: (i) research and innovation, (ii) university-level workforce education and professional development, and (iii) community and Tribal engagement and knowledge exchange. Learn more about the POWC here.
Additional resources
If you’d like to receive emails about our offshore wind research and details on related webinars and presentations, please send us an email at windstudies@schatzcenter.org.
*Please note, this report has been updated as of Dec 2025.
Save the date! Join us on Wednesday, October 29 from 5:30-7:00 pm in BSS 166 (next to the Native American Forum at Cal Poly Humboldt), for a presentation and discussion of this research. The event is free and open to the public. For questions or accessibility requests, please contact us at schatzenergy@humboldt.edu.
Jacobson chronicles the close connection between Humboldt County’s existing energy infrastructure and the timber industry. His report then links that history with contemporary opportunities and challenges, ranging from regional economic development and electricity reliability to offshore wind deployment and the State of California’s climate and clean energy goals.
Electricity use in Humboldt County dates back to 1883, when power was first used to provide lighting at a lumber mill on Tuluwat Island in Humboldt Bay. While the use of electricity grew over the following decades, the architecture of the energy system that is in place today in the county was developed primarily in the two decades that followed World War II. During this period, the region’s timber industry grew rapidly in response to the nation’s post-war economic boom, and there was a corresponding expansion in the county’s electricity and natural gas infrastructure. Once this boom began to subside in the late 1960s, energy demand stagnated and investments in the energy system focused primarily on maintaining, rather than expanding, energy infrastructure serving the region.
Today, the energy infrastructure that serves Humboldt County is small scale, aging, and fragile. The state of this infrastructure limits prospects for economic development and clean energy deployment in the county. It also undermines the livelihoods of people in some parts of the region, as they suffer from some of the least reliable electricity service in the state.
Upgrading the region’s electrical infrastructure has become a point of interest for the State of California in the context of plans to develop offshore wind along the north coast. Wind farms offshore from Humboldt Bay have potential to contribute significantly to the state’s climate and clean energy goals, but the capacity of the existing transmission lines is much smaller than the scale of the proposed wind systems. In June of 2024, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which plays a leading role in electric transmission planning in the state, approved development of new transmission infrastructure with sufficient capacity to support large-scale offshore wind development in the Humboldt Wind Energy Area. The approved infrastructure was designed in a manner that could also help address some – albeit not all – of Humboldt County’s electric system capacity and reliability problems. However, development of the new infrastructure is not guaranteed. The current federal administration opposes offshore wind, and transmission projects generally face significant challenges with permitting and right-of-way acquisition.
As development of this new energy infrastructure is considered, it is crucial to have an understanding of how the proposed infrastructure fits into the history of prior investments in the county’s energy system. The “Power Behind the Redwood Curtain” provides context for the proposed transmission development and for other decisions related to the future of the Humboldt County energy system.
Aerial photograph of the Humboldt Bay Generating Station. Source: Arne Jacobson. Photo date: February 11, 2024
For offshore wind energy projects to be developed in California, specialized port facilities—known as “staging and integration” sites—must be built to stage, assemble, and integrate massive floating offshore wind turbines before they are towed out to the designated offshore wind energy areas. This webinar will describe the key findings from our recently published report, Permitting for Port Infrastructure to Support Offshore Wind in California, and discuss permitting requirements for staging and integration sites, including those relating to Tribal consultation and public engagement. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with staff from the California State Lands Commission and California Coastal Commission to discuss each agency’s role in permitting these types of projects.
Panelists:
Moderator: Awbrey Yost, Senior Policy Analyst, Schatz Energy Research Center
Amy Vierra, Renewable Energy Specialist, California State Lands Commission
Catherine Mitchell, North Coast Harbor Analyst, California Coastal Commission
Dani Ziff, South Coast District Supervisor, California Coastal Commission
This webinar is being hosted by the Pacific Offshore Wind Consortium (POWC, pronounced pow-sea), which is a joint effort between three research centers: the Schatz Energy Research Center at Cal Poly Humboldt, the Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University, and the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. These universities are all housed in and supported by the coastal communities that are anticipated to host floating offshore wind development. Together, the consortium aims to advance three pillars: (i) research and innovation, (ii) university-level workforce education and professional development, and (iii) community and Tribal engagement and knowledge exchange. Learn more about the POWC here.
Additional resources
If you’d like to receive emails about our offshore wind research and details on related webinars and presentations, please send us an email at windstudies@schatzcenter.org.
For offshore wind energy projects to be developed in California, specialized port facilities—known as “staging and integration” sites—must be built to stage, assemble, and integrate massive floating offshore wind turbines before they are towed out to the designated offshore wind energy areas. Because assembled turbines may float approximately 1,100 feet above the water, these port sites must be located in areas without height restrictions, such as bridges. As a result, very few suitable locations exist in California and permitting these staging and integration projects is complex.
Our report identifies the approximately 20 authorizations from federal, state, and local agencies that staging and integration project developers may need to obtain, and develops a potential permitting timeline based on existing statutory and regulatory deadlines. The report’s analysis applies statewide, but is also specifically applied to projects currently proposed in Wigi (Humboldt Bay) and the Port of Long Beach.
The report also provides an in-depth analysis of:
The key permitting processes and applicable standards for the environmental review that will holistically consider these projects–including those by the California Coastal Commission, ports and harbor districts, and the California State Lands Commission in some cases.
Recent legislation that aims to consolidate permitting for offshore wind energy projects and address the impact of these projects on fisheries. The report also identifies areas within these new laws needing clarification, particularly regarding agency responsibilities for issuing permits, Tribal consultation requirements, and compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts to fisheries.
The mandatory requirements for Tribal consultation and public engagement during the environmental review and key permitting processes for these projects. The report also analyzes recent state legislation aimed at creating more meaningful government-to-government consultation and a shared responsibility for resource management and conservation decisions within a Tribal Nation’s ancestral lands and waters.
To read the full report and learn more about the permitting landscape for California’s offshore wind port infrastructure, visit schatzcenter.org/publications. For more information, contact: schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or 707-826-4345.
In 2020, our team began a collaboration with H. T. Harvey & Associates to understand seabird vulnerability to offshore wind within the marine waters off Southern California to Central Oregon.
H. T. Harvey & Associates led an effort to understand where seabirds have been observed, based on decades of existing data, and how those recorded species typically behave within the vertical air column in response to wind speed.
Simultaneously, the Schatz Center team analyzed wind speeds and associated power generation potential across the region – and then integrated the bird vulnerability framework with the wind power generation model.
Our goal was to illuminate potential tradeoffs between collision vulnerability and offshore wind power generation, and to understand the likelihood of a given species to be within the strike-vulnerable zone of a rotating wind turbine. (Note: just as crossing a street is not equivalent to being hit by a car, assessing which birds may fly at heights within the rotor-swept zone of a wind turbine does not predict a number of strikes, but instead highlights a potential vulnerability for birds of that species. Future studies will examine seabird avoidance and attraction behaviors in response to turbine infrastructure.)
For large floating offshore wind turbines such as those proposed for development along California’s Outer Continental Shelf, the base of the rotor-swept zone would be at least 25 meters above sea level. Our study uses a more conservative measure starting at 10 meters above sea level, which aligns with existing observational data. Our results indicate that for 44 species of seabirds found across the study area – from Point Conception, CA to Newport, OR – most are predicted to fly below 10 meters, with approximately 8% of the seabird community flying at or above 10 meters at any given time. These higher-flyers are dominated numerically by the seasonally abundant sooty shearwater, a dynamic-soaring species that uses high wind speeds to obtain high flight heights and soar for long distances, as well as several gull species.
Our assessments encompassed all waters in the study area that are shallow enough to support floating OSW mooring infrastructure (1,300 meters or shallower). While multiple wind facility scenarios across a broad area of the West Coast were simulated for this report, the same framework can be utilized in the future to focus on new lease areas and other probable project locations as those become better refined.
