Monterey Bay Community Power, a California community choice aggregator, and Castle Wind LLC on Aug. 15 said that they have signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines the mutual interests and intent of both parties to enter into future long-term power purchase agreements for approximately 1,000 megawatts of energy from an offshore wind project being developed by Castle Wind.
The Castle Wind Offshore wind farm project will be located on the Outer Continental Shelf, more than 30 miles from the California coastline in federally managed waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is preparing a lease auction for the project site in 2020. If awarded the lease, Castle Wind anticipates producing 1,000 MW of renewable energy around 2025.
The proposed project will be grid-connected at the Morro Bay substation in Morro Bay.
The MOU recognizes that offshore wind offers a long-term energy supply solution that complements Monterey Bay Community Power’s potential energy needs.
As the CCA expands its electric service to the residents and businesses in San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay in early 2020 and potentially the rest of San Luis Obispo County in 2021, “this project has strategic potential and importance for locally generated renewable energy and future job creation,” a news release related to the MOU said.
Additional information about Monterey Bay Community Power is available here.
Another California CCA also pursuing offshore wind
In early 2018, another California CCA, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, offered details on its plans to move forward with what could be the first commercial floating offshore wind farm in the United States.
And in September of last year, the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, with support from a consortium of private companies, submitted a lease application to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to advance the development of the offshore wind energy project off the coast of Humboldt County, in Northern California.
The 100-150 megawatt (MW) floating offshore wind farm is planned to be located more than 20 miles off the coast of Eureka.
The American Public Power Association has initiated a new category of membership for community choice aggregation programs.
