The State of California sent a notice of intent to sue the federal government over offshore wind leases.
The letter claims that under the agreement between the federal government and Golden State Wind to end the company’s lease, the Department of Interior illegally relocated $120 million in taxpayer dollars.
It alleges that if the agreement proceeds the buyout deal would violate the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act which allows the state to have a say in the offshore wind leasing program.
The Environmental Defense Fund has been in support of offshore wind energy. KSBY News talked to their Energy Program Director, Michael Colvin, to see what they think of the possible legal action.
“I saw that it sends a pretty clear signal that California is not going to be bullied into abandoning its quest for clean and reliable power," Colvin said. "I will tell you what the federal government has done is illegal.”
Colvin explained how much energy could be provided from the Morro Bay Wind Energy lease area, along with one near Humboldt.
“About 10% of our total grid, something along the lines of a couple million homes," Colvin said.
Yet, here locally many people don’t want to see turbines go up just offshore.
“We’re not against wind, we’re just against wind on the ocean," said Jeremiah O'Brien, member of the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen Organization.
O’Brien said that it’s another obstacle local fishermen would have to face, avoiding about 400 square miles of ocean.
“We cannot fish around that’s a given, there is no way to possibly fish around it," O'Brien said. "There’s all kind of cables hanging draping in the water, there’s cables in the bottom.”
There is still one remaining leaseholder off of the Morro Bay coast that belongs to Equinor.
The letter provides a 60-day window for the DOI and Golden State Wind to address the alleged violations before the state files suit.
