The California Public Utilities Commission approved a plan Thursday for the state to use its new energy purchasing authority to buy up to 7.6 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2037, placing a big bet on the to-be-developed resource.
The commission voted 4-0 to approve a proposal, first floated in draft form a month ago, that lays out how much and what kind of energy the state will pursue under A.B. 1373, a bill from last year that tasks the state with signing long-term agreements to help develop clean energy resources to help meet climate goals.
The plan approved Thursday satisfied developers of five wind projects proposed off California’s north and central coasts who had accused state energy departments of sending mixed signals on offshore wind. The proposal, which also includes up to a gigawatt of geothermal and up to 2 gigawatts of long-duration storage, called for more wind than the CPUC had sketched out in preliminary hearings that emphasized projects’ potential costs.
Commissioners said they remain attuned to cost concerns, emphasizing the state could still go another direction if offshore wind doesn’t pencil out. Commissioner John Reynolds said the decision issues a challenge to the industry.
