Port of Long Beach receives $14 million boost towards Pier Wind

Taken together, the approvals are aimed at attracting outside funding and authorisation to build Pier Wind, which would be the largest facility of its kind in the US.

The Long Beach Harbor Commission agreed to commit up to $14 million in matching funds for a state grant that the port will apply for in December, aimed at covering the cost of design, environmental review and community outreach for Pier Wind. Additionally, the Harbor Commission authorised $6.5 million from the port’s capital budget to continue with environmental documentation and project delivery activities while the port’s grant application is under consideration.

A newly released preliminary economic impact analysis found that Pier Wind could generate $8 billion in cumulative labour income, $14.5 billion in economic output and $1.3 billion in state and local taxes from now through 2045.

The Harbor Commission’s approvals come the week after California voters authorised Proposition 4, also known as the Climate Bond, which sets aside $475 million for port infrastructure projects connected to offshore wind development.Earlier this year, the California Public Utilities Commission adopted a goal to procure up to 7.6 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind power by 2035. In September, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that would streamline the design and development of Pier Wind by allowing the Port of Long Beach to use alternative construction delivery methods.

As the design process progresses, the proposed layout for Pier Wind was recently updated based on industry feedback.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.

“Pier Wind will contribute to creating a reliable electric grid that will enhance air quality and energy resilience, reduce California’s reliance on fossil fuels and help power the port’s ongoing transition to zero-emissions equipment and vehicles,” said Port of Long Beach CEO, Mario Cordero.“We look forward to making Pier Wind a reality and supporting California’s renewable energy portfolio.”

“The port is pursuing the development of Pier Wind to help California reach its renewable energy goals,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal.

“Pier Wind will also be instrumental to the state’s economic growth by locally supporting 4,200 jobs during construction and another 1,800 green sector jobs during operations while potentially unlocking thousands of other jobs within the supply chain regionally and statewide.”

Last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency gave the Port of Long Beach more than $2.6 million to secure key infrastructure and maintain the safe passage of goods.