President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday temporarily pausing leasing and permitting for offshore wind energy projects in federal waters, including off the coast of Morro Bay.
“We’re thrilled about that. We’re so happy,” said Jeremiah O’Brien, Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization Vice President.
During his campaign, President Donald Trump spoke about ending the offshore wind industry if he returned to the White House. The Morro Bay Wind Energy Lease Area is part of that.
The newly signed executive order instructs the Secretary of Interior to look into the environmental impacts on wildlife, the economic impacts on electricity generation, and how subsidies affect the wind industry’s sustainability.
“Tell us what we’re buying and this I believe is going to show exactly what we’re buying,” O’Brien said.
“This is a time to put the brakes on and reevaluate if this will really help Americans,” said Ken Bates, California Fishermen’s Resiliency Association.
Morro Bay City Manager Yvonne Kimball told KSBY, “While it is too soon to assess the full implications of the executive order, the City of Morro Bay is committed to monitoring the situation and remaining engaged in discussions with stakeholders.”
Back in December, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management released a draft environmental impact statement on potential impacts related to the proposed offshore wind farm near Morro Bay. The report found most of the potential impacts, like an increased risk of injury or death to marine mammals and disruption to local fishing, would be temporary and occur during construction.
“Fishermen are part of your community and it is important to be aware of everyone’s job and how we work together,” Bates said.
KSBY reached out to the three leaseholders for the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area.
An Equinor spokesperson said, “We will continue to assess all policy developments and work with the Trump administration as we deliver long-term energy solutions for the growing American economy.”
Invenergy says the company is “evaluating the newly announced executive actions in collaboration with its industry partners.”
Golden State Wind expects to release a statement on Wednesday.
The American Clean Power Association, a company that champions policies in the clean energy industry, released a statement in opposition to the order, saying, “Wind power is an essential element of our ability to serve soaring electricity demand for manufacturing and data centers that are key to national security. It is also playing a growing role in our energy systems in red and blue states across the country."
The State of California does have a goal to reach 25 gigawatts of clean and renewable wind energy by 2045.
“I think, eventually, when we run out of gas and oil, we want to be prepared that we may have to do things like this but it doesn’t have to be rushed,” said Alan Alward, Morro Bay resident.
