Port of Long Beach unveils details of proposed offshore wind turbine project

LONG BEACH, Calif. (CNS) -- The Port of Long Beach offered more details Tuesday on its plans for a floating offshore wind facility to help California and the nation reach renewable energy targets in the coming decades.

The facility, known as Pier Wind, would support the manufacture and assembly of offshore wind turbines standing as tall as the Eiffel Tower, port officials said. It would be the largest facility at any U.S. seaport specifically designed to accommodate the assembly of offshore wind turbines.

"Imagine fully assembled wind turbines capable of generating 20 megawatts of energy towed by sea from the Port of Long Beach to offshore wind farms in Central and Northern California," Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said.

"As society transitions to clean energy, our harbor is ideally located for such an enterprise -- with calm seas behind a federal breakwater, one of the deepest and widest channels in the U.S., direct access to the open ocean and no air height restrictions. No other location has the space to achieve the economies of scale needed to drive down the cost of energy for these huge turbines."

The facility would span up to 400 acres of newly built land southwest of the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge within the Harbor District. The Port's new concept study provides information to continue planning and discussion with state and federal officials, developers and funders for the $4.7 billion project.

Officials said Pier Wind would also create new jobs for the communities closest to the port that have been disproportionately impacted by climate change and port operations. They said construction could start as early January 2027, with the first 100 acres operational in early 2031, the second 100 acres operational in late 2031, and the last 200 acres coming online in 2035.

"Building Pier Wind lays the foundation for a zero-carbon energy future, not only for the public but for our operations as well," Long Beach Harbor Commission President Sharon Weissman said. "Offshore wind is essential to the Port of Long Beach's own goals to transition to zero emissions, and ensuring there is a ready supply of reliable, resilient and renewable power is vital for the work we do moving commerce."

More information about the project can be found at polb.com/pierwind.

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