Michael Erin Woody will be one of the featured speakers at an upcoming forum discussing floating offshore wind. Submitted photo
A local activist group fighting against floating offshore wind energy is holding an educational forum intended to expose the hot air about the offshore wind energy industry.
REACT Alliance is hosting “It’s All Just Smoke and Mirrors: An Event Exposing the Offshore Wind Hype,” from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden located off Hwy 1 in El Chorro Regional Park (across from Cuesta College).
A suggested donation of $20 is requested. Purchase tickets online at: www.my805tix.com/e/smoke-mirrors.
The forum will feature several speakers on various aspects of the proposal to install massive floating wind turbines off the coast of San Simeon (about 60 miles north of Morro Bay) and off Humboldt Bay in Northern California.
The controversial project has been in the works for about a decade now with the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) conducting lease sales several years ago and awarding three, massive 80,000-plus acre lease sites to three companies. Each had proposed initially to install 1 gigawatt of turbines (3 GW total), but more recently the talk had been about installing 2 GW each (6 GW total) using 20-megawatt turbines.
But with the Trump Administration’s turn away from wind and solar projects — and the idea of green energy in general — on federal lands and waters two of the three companies recently abandoned their offshore projects here in favor of natural gas and coal projects on land. One leaseholder remains but the project is apparently in limbo.
The forum is being held “to inform the public about the potential impacts of floating offshore wind energy development on the environment, commercial and recreational fishing, the local economy, and coastal communities,” said REACT Alliance, which was formed by local citizens to fight against the project here.
“The program aims to provide community members with an opportunity to learn more about the issues surrounding offshore wind development and its potential consequences for the region’s natural resources, fishing interests, economic vitality, and coastal way of life.”
Presenters include — Michael Erin Woody on community and indigenous issues; Ken Bates and Sheri Hafer on environmental and fisheries Impacts; and Edward Ring on economic costs and realities.
“The forum is intended for all audiences, including residents, community members, fishing industry participants, and others interested in the future of California’s coastline and offshore wind energy development.”
All are encouraged to attend and learn more about the issues surrounding floating offshore wind energy development and its potential implications for California’s Central Coast.
REACT Alliance is a grassroots, non-profit organization based in San Luis Obispo. Its mission is “to protect California’s Pacific Ocean and its coastal communities from the destructive impacts of offshore wind energy development.
“We seek to educate the public, advocate for informed-decision making, mobilize the community, collaborate with governing officials, and pursue legal action when necessary.”
For more information about REACT Alliance, see the website at: www.REACTalliance.org.
