California advances central buying for clean power like floating wind

California’s legislature has passed a bill expected to help kickstart the offshore wind industry in the state, which aims to have 25 GW of floating offshore wind by 2045.

“AB 1373 positions California to be a global leader in floating offshore wind,” according to Molly Croll of American Clean Power-California (ACP-CA), whose representation includes all five leaseholders from California’s first offshore wind auction.

The “central procurement” mechanism established by the bill provides the market clarity needed for offshore wind to take off, Croll said on Friday following the passage of the legislation in the Senate and Assembly. After a concurrence vote in the Assembly the bill will head to California’s governor for signature.

The association noted that the clean energy bill reflects a recent agreement between the governor and legislative leaders to support the transition to 100% clean electricity via steps such as creating a central buyer to procure clean electricity for the grid with a focus on sources like offshore wind and long-duration storage, and accelerating permitting for electric transmission projects.

Welcoming the passage of the bill, Offshore Wind California said: “AB 1373 is an important milestone that will establish a robust mechanism to facilitate procurement and provide a clear path to market for large-scale clean energies like offshore wind.”

The organisation added it looks forward to seeing the California Energy Commission’s AB 525 strategic plan for offshore wind in the autumn.

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