SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Assemblymember Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa) introduced AB 472, a measure that would require the Governor to include an assessment of funding opportunities for offshore wind seaport infrastructure in his Five-Year Infrastructure Plan. AB 472 will encourage collaboration between state agencies to identify possible funding from federal, state, and local sources to support the development of offshore wind projects.
"Offshore wind has the potential to transform the economy of the North Coast and create access to a new renewable energy source,” said Assemblymember Rogers. “Responsible, integrated planning for offshore wind energy facilities is key to their success. AB 472 will ensure offshore wind ports are included in California’s infrastructure planning so we can meet our state’s cleaner energy goals and create of jobs locally.”
“California is committed and on course to make offshore wind a key part of its clean-power future. That’s crucial to helping California meet its ambitious climate, clean-energy, and grid-reliability goals and deploy a nation-leading 25 GW of offshore wind by 2045,” said Adam Stern, Executive Director of Offshore Wind California. “We commend Assemblymember Chris Rogers for introducing AB 472, which will ensure that port upgrades are part of the long-term infrastructure planning we need to bring floating offshore wind online.”
AB 472 will mandate that offshore wind port infrastructure is included in the Governor’s infrastructure planning requirements under the California Infrastructure Act. This will ensure that offshore wind port infrastructure is developed within the state’s clean energy goals and the California Energy Commission’s AB 525 Offshore Wind Strategic Plan. The bill requires collaboration amongst various state agencies to assess funding opportunities from federal, state, and local sources – including bonds and private sector investment – to ensure offshore wind port infrastructure is ready to aid in the shift to electrification of different sectors, like housing and transportation.
The California Infrastructure Planning Act, established in 1999 by AB 1473 (Hertzberg), requires the Governor to submit a detailed Five-Year Infrastructure Plan every year outlining statewide infrastructure needs and funding priorities. The plan must include estimated costs, funding sources, and recommended projects. In addition to this, Executive Order B-30-15, established by Governor Brown in 2015, requires state agencies and the Infrastructure Plan to consider climate impacts when planning.
Governor Newsom's 2022 Infrastructure Plan emphasized the need to support clean energy projects, allocating $45 million for offshore wind energy development. However, given the scale and size of offshore wind energy and existing budget constraints, a long-term thorough analysis and finance plan are essential to ensuring the industry’s readiness to meet our offshore wind development and clean energy goals.
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Chris Rogers was elected to the state Assembly in 2024. As the Assemblymember for the Second Assembly District, he represents Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte and Trinity counties. Learn more about Assemblymember Rogers here.
