Webinars

Next up: Permitting for offshore wind port infrastructure projects — July 10, 2025 at 2:30 pm

REGISTER for this webinar

For offshore wind energy projects to be developed in California, specialized port facilities—known as “staging and integration” sites—must be built to stage, assemble, and integrate massive floating offshore wind turbines before they are towed out to the designated offshore wind energy areas. This webinar will describe the key findings from our recently published report, Permitting for Port Infrastructure to Support Offshore Wind in California, and discuss permitting requirements for staging and integration sites, including those relating to Tribal consultation and public engagement. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with staff from the California State Lands Commission and California Coastal Commission to discuss each agency’s role in permitting these types of projects. 

Panelists: 

  • Moderator: Awbrey Yost, Senior Policy Analyst, Schatz Energy Research Center
  • Amy Vierra, Senior Environmental Scientist, California State Lands Commission
  • Catherine Mitchell, North Coast Harbor Analyst, California Coastal Commission 
  • Seth Villanueva, Port Planner, California Coastal Commission

For questions about this webinar or to request technical or accessibility support, please contact schatzenergy@humboldt.edu or call 707-826-4345.

What does it take to grid-connect offshore? Cable Laying and Monitoring at PacWave (5/12/25)

PacWave is a state-of-the-art, pre-permitted, grid-connected, wave energy test facility. It is being developed in partnership with the US Department of Energy, the State of Oregon, Oregon State University, and local stakeholders. The open ocean test site consists of four berths, which occupy two square nautical miles of ocean with a cable to shore of approximately 12 miles in length (for each berth). Drilling for cable conduits began in summer 2021 and cable laying was completed in fall 2024; however, permitting and cable procurement started long before that. This webinar will describe the cabling process, including pre-installation environmental surveys and post-installation monitoring. 

Dan Hellin is the Director of the PacWave wave energy test facility, and Sarah Henkel is the Associate Director of the Pacific Marine Energy Center at Oregon State University.

West Coast Perspectives on Ocean Renewable Energy (2/25/25)

What factors influence people’s different responses to proposed offshore wind and wave energy developments – and what might the implications for future siting and permitting processes be? In this talk, Hilary Boudet and Gregory Stelmach of Oregon State University shared insights from their ongoing studies of community perspectives toward marine renewables development.

Hilary Boudet is a Professor and Director of Graduate Programs in the School of Public Policy at Oregon State University. Her research interests include environmental and energy policy, natural resource sociology, social movements, and public participation in energy and environmental decision-making. Greg Stelmach is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the School of Public Policy at Oregon State University and the Pacific Marine Energy Center.

Seabirds in 3D: a framework to evaluate collision vulnerability in future offshore wind developments (9/24/24)

Research led by the Schatz Energy Research Center in collaboration with H. T. Harvey & Associates evaluates the tradeoffs between the collision vulnerability of 44 seabird species and the offshore wind power-generation potential along California’s coast. This work will improve understanding of seabirds in 3D and help evaluate potential locations for future wind energy developments with minimized impact to seabird populations.

This webinar was presented by Eli Wallach and Arne Jacobson of the Schatz Center, Stephanie Schneider and Sharon Kramer of H. T. Harvey & Associates, and Lisa Ballance of Oregon State University.