McGuire’s Offshore Wind Expediting Act Signed by Governor Newsom

SACRAMENTO— Senate President Designee Mike McGuire’s legislation to expedite offshore wind development to help meet California’s long-term electricity demand and nation-leading climate goals has been signed into law by Governor Newsom.

“Today’s action by Governor Newsom ensures California will move with speed and precision to deploy offshore wind,” said McGuire in a news release from Oct. 7. “The signing of SB 286 shows the Golden State is serious about bringing on desperately needed new renewable power generation and meeting the state’s nation-leading climate goals and energy needs. This bill will expedite the state-side offshore wind permitting process eliminating a staggering 5 years off of the permitting timeline all while protecting California’s coastal environment and storied fishing fleet. The quicker we get offshore wind infrastructure built off the Golden State’s Coast, the faster we’ll get family sustaining jobs propped up and moving.”

SB 286 – the Offshore Wind Expediting Act – will accelerate the offshore wind permitting process through the State Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission. Concurrently, it will ensure environmental safeguards remain in place, California’s storied fishing fleet interests are protected and will advance resources that benefit communities and develop family-sustaining jobs through career training programs.

In addition to the streamlining, for the first time, SB 286 mandates state agencies and key stakeholders to collaborate and develop the long-term game plan to deploy offshore wind infrastructure off the California coast.

SB 286 requires the Coastal Commission to bring the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Lands Commission, the Ocean Protection Council, representatives from the commercial fishing industry, representatives from the offshore wind industry, federal agencies, labor, Native American tribes, and other community leaders together over the next two years. This working group will create a statewide standard to ensure offshore wind development is expedited and develop data-driven strategies to avoid and minimize impacts to ocean fisheries and mitigate effects to the maximum extent possible.

Governor Newsom signed SB 286 on Oct. 7, and will become law on Jan. 1, 2024.