Key Next Steps to Make California a Global Leader for Floating Offshore Wind & Green Growth for Coastal Communities

Heavy Lifting at Humboldt Bay - New Marine Terminal to Set the Stage for Floating Offshore Wind on California's North Coast

Speaker: Chris Mikkelsen, Executive Director, Humboldt Bay Harbor District

Prop 4 & Beyond - Investing in Seaport Facilities & Planning a Multi-Port Infrastructure Strategy

With the passage of Proposition 4 - the $10 billion Climate Bond that includes $475 million for port upgrades for offshore wind - plans are advancing for investments in infrastructure at the Port of Long Beach, Humboldt Harbor District, and elsewhere to serve the upcoming offshore wind pipeline. This panel will discuss efforts currently underway, recommendations for port upgrades in the final AB 525 Strategic Plan, port readiness direction from AB 3, and prospects for private investment, short-term financing, and grant funding to develop facilities.

Moderator:
Eli Harland, Supervisor - Offshore Renewable Energy Planning Unit, California Energy Commission

Panelists:

• Rob Holmlund, Director of Development, Humboldt Bay Harbor District
• Jennifer Lim, Ports and Offshore Wind Lead, Moffatt & Nichol
• Suzanne Plezia, Chief Harbor Engineer, Port of Long Beach
• Brian Sabina, CEO, Clean Energy Terminals

Building a Sustainable Offshore Wind Industry in California—Growing to 25 GW by 2045 & Beyond

As of 2025, what policies, regulation, or legislative changes are needed to increase market certainty and develop a robust offshore wind industry in California? This panel discussion will focus on a broader industry perspective of what is needed to meet California's offshore wind potential - including roadblocks and paths forward to build a sustainable industry and meet the AB 525 planning goals - over the next four years and beyond.

Moderator:
Chris Potter, Offshore Natural Resources Leader, WSP

Panelists:

• Tony Appleton, Offshore Wind Director, Burns & McDonnell
• Kelly Boyd, Senior Director, Policy and Regulatory, Pacific Region, Equinor
• Rick Umoff, Director of Government Affairs, Vineyard Offshore

Offshore Wind's Potential as an Engine for California Jobs & Economic Growth

Speaker: Chris Hannan, President, State Building and Construction Trades Council of California

California Jobs and Workforce Development for Offshore Wind

Construction and maintenance of offshore wind and related facilities represents substantial opportunity to deliver economic benefits to West Coast communities. It also requires a highly skilled workforce. This panel will provide updates on progress on traditional building and construction trades skills transferable to offshore wind, the role of existing workforce training, and strategies that support successful project deployment while creating good-paying jobs in local communities.

Moderator:
Dan Jacobson, Senior Advisor, Environment California

Panelists:

• Travis Alexander, Senior Organizer, Nor Cal Carpenters Union
• Jeff Hunerlach, District Representative/Offshore Wind Consultant Operating Engineers Local #3
• Micah Mitrosky, International Representative, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
• Treston Shull, International Representative, Laborers Local 324, Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA)
• Abrah Steward, Program Manager, CFROG

Developing a Scalable West Coast Supply Chain & Advancing Technology to Deploy California's First Offshore Wind Projects

The growth in global demand for floating offshore wind presents California with a unique opportunity to build the full-value chain from the ground up and leverage best practices from other markets to advance the clean energy transition. In order to advance this new industry, the state faces several challenges, including a limited supply chain and a lack of ports, transmission infrastructure, vessels, and workforce. Furthermore, the deepwater environment for Pacific offshore wind presents a myriad of technological challenges and opportunities for innovation. This panel will explore the essential components for developing a scalable, financially durable supply chain and identifying advancements in offshore wind technology that are needed to develop a sustainable industry and enable on-time construction and reliable project operations in California and beyond.

Moderator:
Nancy Kirshner-Rodriguez, Senior Director for Policy & Outreach, Oceantic Network

Panelists:

• Seth Price, Vice President of Technology, Principle Power

The Role of Local Government Officials in Shaping Offshore Wind Policies in California, Hosted by Elected Officials to Protect America

Leaders in the Federal government have voiced strong opposition to offshore wind, while State leaders' clean energy commitment remains steadfast. What about local leaders? Cities, counties and ports are where projects connect directly to communities, where jobs are created, and where critical infrastructure will be built to create, store and transmit clean energy.

Elected leaders in Humboldt County, the Central Coast and Long Beach will offer critical perspectives from these diverse communities on offshore wind. They will address local decision-points, local political dynamics, and local power.

Moderator:
Meghan Sahli-Wells, California Director, Elected Officials to Protect America

Panelists:

• Honorable Natalie Arroyo, 4th District Supervisor, Humboldt County

The Role of Offshore Wind in Planning at the CPUC to Meet California's Clean Energy Goals

Speaker: John Reynolds, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission

Perspectives on Procurement & Imperatives for Driving Offshore Wind Economies of Scale

Last August, the CPUC set an initial need determination to procure up to 7.6 GW of offshore wind at scale by 2035-2037, per the AB 1373 legislation. Procurement at scale for long lead-time resources like offshore wind is critical to lower costs for load-serving entities (LSEs) and ratepayers, and to increase market confidence for developers making the investments. Panel will focus on the role contracting for offshore wind could play in their clean energy plans and the broader benefits of building offshore wind at scale for achieving California's clean-energy goals and helping to meet new electricity demand from vehicles, buildings, and AI and data centers.

Moderator:
Molly Croll, Pacific Offshore Wind Director, American Clean Power

Panelists:

• Michael Colvin, Director, California Energy Program, Environmental Defense Fund
• Leuwam Tesfai, Deputy Executive Director for Energy and Climate Policy, California Public Utilities Commission
• Dawn Weisz, CEO, Marin Clean Energy

Connecting Offshore Wind to California's Grid - Accelerating Transmission Planning & Interconnection

Planning how to interconnect GWs of offshore wind to the grid plays a central role in the race to deploy the new clean-energy resource. CAISO estimates 5-6 GW of transmission capacity may be available on the Central Coast for offshore wind and other energy resources. In contrast, very little transmission infrastructure exists to deliver power from California's North Coast. This panel will discuss CAISO’s new 2023-24 Transmission Plan and its $4.6 billion in funding to connect North Coast offshore wind, as well as SB 1006, CPUC and CAISO processes for transmission planning, and key findings from studies by DOE, NREL, PNNL, the Schatz Energy Research Center, and others.

Moderator:
Anna Fero, Associate, Davis Wright Tremaine

Panelists:

• Travis Douville, Wind Systems Integration Portfolio Manager, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Arne Jacobson, Director, Schatz Energy Research Center, Cal Poly Humboldt University
• Susan Lee, Vice President, Aspen Environmental
• Marco Rios, Manager, Transmission System Planning, PG&E

Collaboration to Enhance Opportunities for Offshore Wind on the West Coast, Around the Pacific & Beyond

Floating offshore wind is showing great progress in Asian, European and other global markets, with a number of shared characteristics and opportunities for development along the Pacific Rim. This panel will explore new developments in this space, including opportunities and models for collaboration in areas of scientific research, interagency coordination, and California’s participation in the Global Offshore Wind Alliance.

Imagining Floating Offshore Wind in California & America's Clean Energy Future in 2045