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Publication Date
2020
Abstract
Offshore wind energy has enormous potential to help meet California’s 100% clean electricity target. The Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University is studying the feasibility of offshore wind farms in northern California. One project, funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), models the power generation from different size offshore wind farms including 50, 150 and 1,800 MW, each located 20-30 miles offshore. The results show that the wind speeds in this region are some of the highest on the West Coast, producing up to 7,540 GWh/year for the largest MW wind farms. This represents 900% of Humboldt County’s electrical needs and 3.8% of California’s demand.
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