Port of Long Beach unveils plans for massive offshore wind turbine facility
The Port of Long Beach has released plans for Pier Wind, a $4.7 billion floating offshore wind facility project that would be the first of its kind in the United States.
Pier Wind is a floating offshore wind farm that will cost $4.7 billion. The Port of Long Beach released the plans.
The project will help California and the U.S. achieve renewable energy targets by assisting in the production of offshore windmills taller than the Eiffel tower. This facility will be the biggest in any U.S. port designed to accommodate assembly of offshore turbines.
Pier Wind, as part of Port's efforts to achieve a future with zero carbon emissions, would generate renewable energy over deep water while reducing the reliance on fossil-fuels. The project will also help the state reach its goal of 25 gigawatts in offshore wind energy by 2045, and lower the cost of offshore power by 70 percent by 2035.
The facility will be located on the land to the southwest of the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge in the Harbor District. It could cover up to 400 acres. Pier Wind, according to a concept study by the port, would provide new career opportunities and jobs for communities that are close to the port and have been disproportionately affected by climate change.
The construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2027. The first 100 acres will be operational by early 2031. The second 100 acres will be operational late in 2031. And the final 200 acres are expected to open in 2035.
Port of Long Beach Director Mario Cordero stated in a press release that no other place has the space needed to "achieve economies of scale" to lower the cost of electricity for these turbines.
Cordero stated that he could imagine fully assembled windmills capable of producing 20 megawatts of power being towed from the Port of Long Beach out to offshore wind farms located in Central and Northern California. As society moves to cleaner energy, Long Beach's harbor is the perfect location for this project. It has calm waters behind a federal barrier, one of the widest and deepest channels in the U.S. and direct access to open ocean.
The Port of Long Beach supports 2.6 millions jobs throughout the United States, including 575,000 in Southern California. The port plans to invest $2.2 billion over the next decade in capital improvements that will enhance capacity, sustainability and competitiveness.