Elected officials, union members and grass roots organizations stand up for offshore wind

After Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) hosted a gathering with elected officials, unions, and grassroots organizations at the IBEW Local 639 Union Hall in San Luis Obispo, attendees went for a tour around the Morro Bay port.  E.O.P.A. photo

California will continue to lead the transition from fossil fuels to renewables with offshore wind say, 250 elected officials

By Ramona du Houx

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA. California is the world’s fourth largest economy and is respected as a global leader. Governor Newsom, and the majority in the legislature support offshore wind, so do elected officials from across the state. In fact, over 250 Californian local elected officials signed an Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) California letter supporting the responsible buildout of offshore wind. They see offshore wind as a key component to be able to transition the state from fossil fuels to 100 percent clean energy.

Additionally, last November voters take what’s happening to the climate seriously and backed the California Climate Bond, Proposition 4. The state will allocate some of those funds to specific ports to help them get ready for the offshore wind buildout.

“Not only will offshore wind energy help mitigate the climate crisis that has been getting worse because of the continued use of fossil fuels that create polluting global warming greenhouse gas, it can play a crucial role in stabilizing, and lowering, our energy bills. By diversifying our energy portfolio with a reliable, homegrown clean source of power, we reduce our reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets. This increased reliability also translates into fewer blackouts and Public Safety Power Shutoffs, which have become an increasingly unwelcome reality for many of us across the state,” said Marisol Rubio, San Ramon City Councilmember, Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) California Leadership Council member. “At a time where it is hard to get agreement on issues, It’s impressive that 250 elected officials from across the state support offshore wind.”

Despite the federal government pulling support for offshore wind nationally in favor of fossil fuels, many elected officials from the communities that are a part of the offshore buildouts continue to work towards what they see as its eventuality. 

“Our energy dependence on fossil fuels is not a problem that gets solved somewhere else, by someone else. It starts in places like Blue Lake, and all townships, districts and municipalities large and small,” said Katheryn Napier, Blue Lake City Council Member, CA, Army Airborne Veteran. “Sustainable energy in my town of Blue Lake is our best option to hold back the extreme weather that is upending lives across the state, and the world. With floating offshore wind clean energy turbines off the coast of Humboldt, we can improve the reliability of electricity and provide substantial co-benefits, reducing ordinary air pollution as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are the main source of global warming. Energy security relies on clean energy.”

Elected Officials to Protect America (E.O.P.A.) hosted a gathering with elected officials, unions, and grassroots organizations at the IBEW Local 639 Union Hall in San Luis Obispo. The event, on October 6, 2025, featured experts speaking on offshore wind, port development benefits for local workers and communities, and debunking the misinformation that is circulating about offshore wind.

Last year, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a landmark plan for developing 25 gigawatts of floating offshore wind by 2045. Five ocean leases were granted to energy companies off the coast of Humboldt and Morro Bay with the potential of up to 10 gigawatts of electricity in federal waters 20 to 50 miles offshore. That’s enough electricity to power 25 million homes transmitted through undersea cables from floating turbine offshore wind farms. It is a major clean energy climate solution and key to the state’s goal of reaching 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2045.

“Having spent my career as an IBEW electrician on the Central Coast, specifically Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo, I’ve seen firsthand how this region has powered California, from Diablo Canyon to various fossil fuel operations. We understand the energy business, and frankly, it’s time for a change. As we transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, offshore wind isn’t just a good idea; it’s the perfect solution for our community and our future,” said IBEW Local 639 Business Manager Mark Simonin. “The most immediate and tangible benefit of offshore wind is jobs. Good, union jobs. These aren’t temporary gigs; they are long-term careers that will provide stability and prosperity for families right here on the Central Coast.”

Reports show deploying 25 GW of offshore wind can create thousands of jobs, supply 15-20 percent of the state’s new clean energy, offer ratepayers affordable, reliable clean power, drive economies of scale, and generate enough competitively priced electricity for up to 25 million homes.

However, the fossil fuel industry has been spreading disinformation about this cutting-edge technology which is environmentally friendly and highly efficient. European nations have deployed thousands of floating offshore wind platforms already.

“It’s not too much to ask for a world where my grandkids can breathe clean air and run barefoot on the beach — without plastic or oil in the sand, or skies darkened by fossil-fueled fires,” said Susan Callery, former Poway Councilmember, retired Manager of NASA's Climate website. “We have three choices: not enough energy, more fossil fuels, or renewable energy. Offshore wind gives us clean power, good jobs, and a livable climate. The disinformation from anti-wind groups only adds real harm on top of what fossil fuels have already done.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates California has 200 GW of offshore wind potential.

Offshore wind clean energy can provide substantial co-benefits like reducing ordinary air pollution as well as greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. The air quality in environmental justice communities, whose residents suffer from illnesses caused by fossil fuel extraction and processing, will get better. Those living next to pumpjacks will no longer have to suffer from chronic asthma, or cancers once they are phased out.