County lawmakers to host public information session on offshore wind
Session will be held Nov. 1 at county government center
– This week, Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), California Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), and Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) joined the County of San Luis Obispo to announce that they will be hosting a public information session on the development, implementation, and impacts of offshore wind development off the coast of San Luis Obispo County.
The public information session, which will be held on Nov. 1, beginning at 4 p.m. will feature multiple panels of local officials and industry experts who will provide up-to-date information on the development of offshore wind in the region. These panels will also provide ample time for public comment from attendees of the sessions.
The event will be held at the San Luis Obispo County Government Center at 1055 Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo. There will be a virtual option for those who are unable to attend the sessions in person that day.
“I’m proud of the work that I’ve done in Washington to bring offshore wind closer to reality off our Central Coast, but this is not the kind of project that can only be discussed behind closed doors or in the halls of government,” said Carbajal.” We need families to understand not just the clean power that this development will bring in our fight against the climate crisis, but also the power that it will have in terms of creating jobs, boosting our local communities, and making our region an economic powerhouse. I hope all who are interested can join us!”
“Offshore wind is coming to the Central Coast, and this is a really big deal,” said Laird, “It’s a profound step towards a green energy future for the state and will serve as a model for the globe. Understandably, however, the residents of San Luis Obispo County have a lot of questions, including whether the turbines really will spin by 2030 and what kind of benefits – and impacts – this new technology may bring. The purpose of this information session is to begin to get those questions answered, and I encourage the community to join us on Nov. 1.”
“As California continues to make historic investments in climate solutions, there is tremendous potential for offshore wind energy to play a critical role. That said, building offshore wind energy off the Central Coast will impact our communities and there is much to learn.” Addis said. “As offshore wind energy development moves forward, it’s important that we come together to better understand the challenges ahead, the potential environmental and economic benefits to California and the Central Coast, and to hear local voices,” said Assemblymember Addis.
Confirmed attendees of the public information session include representatives from the California Energy Commission, the California Coastal Commission, Cal Poly, SLO County Supervisors Bruce Gibson and Dawn Ortiz-Legg, and Morro Bay Mayor Carla Wixom.
“Offshore wind has such great potential to accelerate our shift to renewable energy and the issues around it are important for the public to understand. I appreciate Rep. Carbajal, Sen. Laird and Asm. Addis hosting what will certainly be a fascinating and informative event,” said Gibson.
“This will be an important opportunity for our community to learn and engage with this robust panel of agencies and companies working on Offshore wind. There are multiple steps required to generate clean, reliable energy in a responsible manner and it’s important for our community to be informed and provide feedback so SLO County to continue our tradition as an energy-generating powerhouse,” said Ortiz-Legg.
A full schedule and link to the Nov. 1 session will be provided at a later date.
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