California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2235, which allows the Port of Long Beach to expedite the design and construction of Pier Wind—a proposed 400-acre terminal aimed at facilitating the assembly and deployment of floating offshore wind turbines.
Authored by Assembly member Josh Lowenthal, AB 2235 is designed to lower costs and speed up the timeline for the Pier Wind project, which is set to become the largest facility of its kind in the United States and will aid California in achieving its renewable energy objectives. The bill enables the Port to adopt alternative construction delivery methods for the design and building of Pier Wind.
“We now can plan and build Pier Wind in a way that is smarter, faster and more cost-effective, thanks to Gov. Newsom, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal guiding this critical legislation to approval,” explained Mario Cordero, CEO at Port of Long Beach.
In addition to generating green energy jobs in Southern California, Pier Wind is expected to create job opportunities across various sectors of the supply chain, supporting the manufacturing, assembly, operations, and maintenance of offshore wind projects along the West Coast. Sponsored by the Port of Long Beach, the bill received approval from the state Senate and Assembly in August.
“The men and women of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union are pleased this legislation has been signed into law by the governor. Throughout our 90-year history of working on these docks, we have loaded and unloaded all manner of cargo from ships and barges and are excited to bring that expertise to bear on this offshore wind project at Pier Wind in the Port of Long Beach,” commented Gary Herrera, president of ILWU Local 13.
Pier Wind will serve as a staging, storage, and assembly site for some of the largest offshore wind turbines in the world, which can be as tall as the Eiffel Tower. Once fully assembled, these turbines will be towed by sea from the Port of Long Beach to wind lease areas located 20 to 30 miles offshore in Central and Northern California, contributing to the renewable energy goals of both the state and federal governments.
The proposed project is currently undergoing thorough environmental reviews by local, state, and federal regulatory agencies, with the Port of Long Beach actively seeking community input. If approved, construction of the US$4.7 billion project could begin as early as 2027, with the first 200 acres slated for completion in 2031, followed by the final 200 acres by 2035.
“The Pier Wind project presents an exciting opportunity for California to realize its potential as a leader in the U.S. offshore wind market. The signing of AB 2235 will allow alternative delivery methods for the efficient construction of needed port infrastructure leading to an untapped clean energy source while creating thousands of high-quality construction jobs for Southern Californians thanks to a project labor agreement with the Port of Long Beach. We look forward to seeing the project through the construction process and a continued partnership with the Port,” stated Chris Hannan, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California.
