Officials with the Central California city of Morro Bay have signed a good-faith agreement with a Seattle-based company that intends to install 100 floating turbines some 600 feet above the Pacific Ocean. The network of turbines could generate a gigawatt of electricity, which translates into enough energy to power an estimated 300,000 homes. While Trident Winds emphasizes the fact that wind energy is inherently clean and green, some coastal activists fear the floating turbines, located 15 miles or so off the San Luis Obispo County shoreline, could prove unsightly.
If approved, the project could take five to six years to complete. Wind energy remains a hot-button issue in the Golden State with Gov. Jerry Brown signing a law earlier this fall mandating that at least half of California’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2030. As it stands today, California ranks behind Texas as the national leader in wind energy, drawing approximately 8 percent of its electricity from 1,883 wind turbines. Read more HERE.