California’s coast may be the site of the West Coast’s first installment of offshore wind infrastructure following an announcement by the Biden administration this week.

The administration said the Department of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Department of Defense (DOD) have agreed to lease 399 square miles off the northern coast of California for Wind Energy Area (WEA) development. 

The state may be in need of more energy resources in a few years as Gov. Gavin Newsom has called a ban on new hydraulic fracturing permits by January 2024. The state’s offshore waters are said to be prospective for up to 4.6 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind. 

DOI, working with DOD and the state, has identified the Morro Bay 399 Area as one site that could...