Calling wind and solar power “unreliable energy sources,” the Trump Administration announced it’s rescinding the possibility of leases off the U.S. coastline for new offshore wind projects.
The move would impact 3.5 million acres of ocean, but three major projects off the Central Coast are apparently unaffected.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced it is rescinding all designated Wind Energy Areas on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. In a written statement, the agency said it is ending what it called “preferential treatment for unreliable foreign-controlled energy sources.”
The action implements an executive order from President Trump. The order claims that what it calls unreliable energy sources, like wind and solar power, have displaced what it terms “affordable and reliable energy sources.” The order asserts that wind and solar power have threatened national security by making the U.S. dependent on supply chains controlled by what it called "foreign adversaries."
Some of the companies involved in ocean wind projects are based overseas, and some of the solar and wind technology comes from other nations.
Three companies already have wind power projects under development off of Morro Bay. The projects cover about 376 square miles of ocean and would generate enough power to serve more than three million homes.
The three companies already have leases, so they are apparently unaffected by the new policy. The new policy excludes unleased federal waters off the U.S. coastline from the mix for potential wind power leases.
