- The two areas up for grabs in Northern California received the auction’s two highest bids.
- The total development area has the potential to produce 4.6 GW of offshore wind energy.
A two-day auction to determine who will develop the first-ever offshore wind projects off California’s coast raised a total of $757 million from developers.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management auctioned development rights for the five areas— two in the Humboldt Wind Energy Area of Northern California and three in Morro Bay in Southern California.
The two areas up for grabs in Northern California received the auction’s two highest bids.
Through the subsidiary California North Floating LLC, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners secured the rights to develop 69,031 acres for an auction-high $173.8 million. RWE had the next highest winning bid at $157.7 million for 63,338 acres.
Equinor, Invenergy, and a joint venture between ENGIE and EDP won the rights to develop areas in Morro Bay for $130 million, $145.3 million, and $150.3 million, respectively.
The total development area offered in the auction covers 373,268 acres with the potential to produce over 4.6 GW of offshore wind energy and power 1.5 million homes.