Californian Port Secures USD 20 Million in State Funds for Floating Wind Terminal Development

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has awarded USD 20 million (approximately EUR 17 million) to the Port of Long Beach to fund the ongoing development of Pier Wind, a proposed USD 4.7 billion (approx. EUR 4 billion) terminal that would serve the floating wind industry.

CEC has awarded the grant through the Offshore Wind Energy Waterfront Facility Improvement Program, utilising state bond funding, and the Port of Long Beach will match USD 11 million (approx. EUR 9.5 million) to complete the engineering, environmental, business planning, and community outreach requirements necessary to initiate construction on Pier Wind.

The proposed terminal is planned to host the assembly and deployment of floating offshore wind turbines and, according to the Port of Long Beach, aims to help California meet a goal of generating 25 GW of offshore wind energy by 2045.

“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 U.S.”, said Frank Colonna, Long Beach Harbor Commission President. “We are grateful for this state funding to make offshore wind a part of California’s energy portfolio.”

The grant funding came from Proposition 4, the climate bond measure approved in 2024 that set aside USD 475 million (approx. EUR 409 million) for port infrastructure projects supporting offshore wind development. The Port of Long Beach says it will seek additional Proposition 4 proceeds for Pier Wind as the state releases those funds.

The Pier Wind project is undergoing extensive environmental review by local, state and federal regulatory agencies as the Port of Long Beach gathers input from the community, the port said on 8 October.

Construction work on the new 400-acre terminal could start in 2027, with the first 200 acres completed in 2031, and the final 200 acres coming online in 2035.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year that would streamline the design and development of Pier Wind by allowing the Port of Long Beach to use alternative construction delivery methods.

In 2024, the California Energy Commission adopted a final strategic plan for offshore wind energy developments for the state, authorised through Assembly Bill 525. The plan references the need to prioritise seaports, like the Port of Long Beach, to serve as assembly and staging sites for wind turbines.

The California State Lands Commission and the ports of Long Beach and Humboldt entered into a memorandum of understanding in December 2024 to collaborate on permitting, community engagement, environmental justice, clean energy strategies and Native American Tribal consultation to advance a multiport strategy for offshore wind deployment and workforce development.

At the beginning of this year, Assembly Bill 472 was introduced in California’s state legislature, which added an assessment of funding opportunities for offshore wind port infrastructure to the Governor’s Five-Year Infrastructure Plan.

The California Legislature voted to approve Proposition 4 funding for offshore wind port development in the SB 105 budget bill this September, allocating USD 225.7 million (approx. EUR 194 million) in the current budget bill to upgrade port infrastructure to support the development of offshore wind off the state’s coast.