A Seattle-based developer submitted an unsolicited bid to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to build what could be Washington State's first offshore wind farm.
Trident Wind said it wants to develop a 2 GW floating offshore wind project 43 miles offshore from the Olympic peninsula. The company submitted its plan with BOEM on March 28.
The Olympic Wind project announcement is expected to launch a review of Trident's qualifications by BOEM. That would be followed by an assessment by the agency of competitive interest. BOEM confirmed receipt of the unsolicited proposal and will now assess Trident Winds' legal, technical, and financial qualifications, the agency told Renewable Energy World.
"BOEM will also work closely with the State of Washington, local Tribal Nations, and other partners on next steps," a BOEM spokesperson said in an email.
Trident Winds CEO Alla Weinstein said the company looks forward to forming partnerships with stakeholders to maximize the project's benefits to surrounding communities. Weinstein serves as Gov. Jay Inslee’s Energy Appointee on the Washington State Coastal Marine Advisory Council. She is also a U.S. Department of Energy appointed ambassador for the U.S. Clean Energy Education and Empowerment Initiative.
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Trident Winds is also interested in developing a floating offshore wind project off the coast of California. In 2016, the company submitted an unsolicited bid to develop the Castle Wind in what has since been designated as the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area by BOEM.
A draft environmental assessment for the Morro Bay WEA that was released by BOEM this week is available for public comment until May 7.
The 240,898 acres within the Morro Bay WEA are some 20 miles off San Luis Obispo County, California. The area is expected to bring 3 GW of clean energy to the grid when fully developed.
BOEM released the draft environmental assessment for the Humboldt WEA in Northern California earlier this year. The three commercial leases total 132,368 acres located 21 miles offshore of the city of Eureka. The Humboldt WEA is expected to support the development of at least 1.6 GW of offshore wind.
BOEM said it intends to hold lease auctions for the Morro Bay and Humboldt WEAs together. The auctions are expected to be held sometime this fall.
The respective depths of 900-1,300m and 500-1,100m for the Morro Bay and Humboldt WEAs are expected to require floating offshore wind technology. And while the U.S. has so far lagged behind Europe and Asia in offshore wind development, experts say an opportunity exists to take the lead in floating offshore wind.
The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) highlighted the U.S. in a recent report for its potential to capitalize on the next round of floating offshore wind growth, which globally is still a nascent technology. Whether the U.S. can take advantage of the floating offshore wind market, however, depends on policies and investments needed to pave the way.
Courtesy: BOEM Any potential development of offshore wind projects offshore Washington State is still years away.
Trident Winds' unsolicited request triggers a years-long process to evaluate the environmental impacts and commercial potential of the area. And BOEM already has plans to hold lease auctions for areas off the Carolinas, Northern and Central California, the Gulf of Mexico, Central Atlantic, Oregon, and the Gulf of Maine over the next several years.
The U.S. floating offshore wind industry will then need to begin the development of a supply chain to support projects along the Pacific Coast.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory examined the readiness of 13 West Coast ports to support floating offshore wind activities in the Pacific Ocean and found that no ports are currently prepared to support floating offshore wind activities. Ports are too congested with shipping activities, the report noted.
