Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV) Island Pride recently completed its undersea sound testing and mapping work for Atlas Wind in its proposed 1 gigawatt offshore floating wind energy area. Photo courtesy Ocean Infinity
One of three offshore floating wind energy companies said it’s completed its underwater mapping of the seafloor in the so-called Morro Bay Call Area.
Equinor, dba Atlas Wind, in a recent “Notice to Mariners” bulletin said, “As of July 17, 2024, the OSV Island Pride has completed all low-energy high resolution geophysical surveys data collection in the Atlas Wind lease area and along the potential export cable routes outside of state waters. All of the underwater transponder positioning devices (UTPs) previously placed within the Atlas Wind lease area have been removed. This completes our offshore data collection activities with the Island Pride.”
The notice was one of several Atlas Wind put out, targeting mainly commercial fishermen and other vessel captains transiting the area.
Atlas Wind hired the Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV) Island Pride, a 338-foot long “multi-purpose subsea vessel” for the lease site surveying work.
Island Pride motored back and forth across the company’s 80,000-acre lease area, located about 30 miles offshore from San Simeon, and about 57-miles northwest of Morro Bay, the nearest safe port.
Estero Bay News asked Atlas Wind if the tests had found anything unusual, such as sea mounts or deep water reefs, areas that they would want to avoid when laying the undersea power cables and setting the massive moorings for their wind turbines? Also, were any whales or marine mammals injured by the sound testing?
Atlas Wind spokesperson, Tibi Dean, said they’d taken all precautions to avoid harming whales and other protected species. “The vessel,” Dean said, “included multiple independent Protected Species Observers [PSO] who submitted reports to federal agencies detailing the species observed and mitigating actions that were taken.”
These PSOs were from independent organizations and operated independently from the company. They’ve now got to go through the data.
“We will spend the coming months ahead,” Dean said, “analyzing the vast amount of survey data to help inform future project development.”
These tests will go along with yet more undersea mapping in State waters (inside 3 miles), which the Coastal Commission recently approved, but Atlas Wind doesn’t know yet when those will start.
“We are pleased to have all necessary permits approved to begin surveying in State waters,” Dean said, “and look forward to carrying out surveying at the appropriate time, considering factors such as vessel availability, seasonal weather patterns, migration of marine mammals and fishing activities in the near shore area. In the meantime, we will continue to engage with the fishing community and other potentially affected stakeholders to determine the appropriate timing and location of State water surveys.”
Atlas Wind Project Director, Martin Goff, said, “Building on the success of our survey campaign in non-State waters, securing necessary permits for near-shore surveying in State waters is another important step forward.
“Atlas Wind is still in the early planning stages and is determining the appropriate path forward for all development activities, including the timing and approach to additional survey efforts. Meaningful engagement is key to developing projects, and we are eager to spend the months ahead continuing to work with Tribal Nations, fisheries, and local communities in preparation for surveying in State waters.”
In its Coastal Development Permit, Atlas Wind dropped an earlier plan to continue its sonar mapping past Morro Rock down off Point Buchon and Diablo Canyon Power Plant.
That nuclear power facility has been mentioned as one potential location where the power from offshore wind farms could come ashore and connect with the power grid.
But it also would have skirted around a State Marine Protected Area (off Montaña de Oro State Park), raising a whole new set of concerns for opponents.
But the final CDP the company submitted cut out that extended area.
Another wind area leaseholder, Central California Offshore Wind (dba Golden State Wind), announced that it would start its survey work in the call area on July 2.
The Island Pride started its testing work in mid-April and finished in the middle of July, or about 3 months, a stretch that was blessed with mostly good weather.
The other survey jobs could be expected to take a similar amount of time, depending on the weather.
The third wind company, Invenergy (dba Even Keel Wind) recently announced the hiring of a public relations manager for its project, so they are some months behind the other two.
The wind companies — Atlas Wind ($130 million, 80,062 acres); Golden State Wind ($150.3 million for 80,418 ac.); and Even Keel Wind ($145.3M, 80,418 ac.) — are each responsible for development of their lease areas, which frankly could be the least expensive and easiest aspect of this whole endeavor.
Still to be decided is where the energy will come ashore; where the substations needed for each wind farm will be sited; where high voltage transmission cables will be run; and the biggest unknown of all — where will they build the deep water port(s) and bayside, giant work quays and massive (estimated at 50 acres) maintenance and assembly/manufacturing yards needed to support what is a brand new industry in California.
Meanwhile, the California Energy Commission recently completed a report on the future of offshore wind power in California, calling for some 25,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy to be built in State waters inside 3 miles, by 2045, when the State has set a goal of being 100-percent renewable energy.
