Padilla, Butler, Huffman Announce Over $425 Million for Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler (both D-Calif.), along with Representative Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), announced that the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District will receive $426.7 million for the construction and maintenance of offshore wind infrastructure. The grant for the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind MVP (Minimum Viable Port) project comes through the Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) grant program, which received a substantial funding increase through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Offshore wind energy is essential to combating the increasingly devastating effects of climate change as California strives to reach 100 percent carbon-free power,” said Senator Padilla. “This substantial investment in the Harbor District will not only boost economic development in the Humboldt community, but also move us closer toward our clean energy and grid reliability goals. Once again, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering for California and creating good-paying jobs by funding innovative clean energy technology.”
“It is important to invest in California’s infrastructure with an eye towards our green energy goals,” said Senator Butler. “The $426 million secured from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s INFRA Grant will help establish Humboldt County as a leader in clean energy and will allow us to plan for a future with unpredictable climate challenges.”
“Offshore wind is a key tool for combatting climate change while providing the power we need to improve lives and grow the economy. And we are paving the way here in Humboldt with this first-of-its-kind offshore wind project on the West Coast,” said Representative Huffman. “A large part of this grant comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I helped pass last Congress. Since then, I’ve been pushing the Department of Transportation to direct funds toward this game-changing project. I’ve also been working closely with BOEM to ensure we get the most out of this initiative – and it’s on track to include robust community benefits packages honoring labor, tribal, commercial fishing, and community agreements.”
“Supporting offshore wind development is proof of our commitment to clean, renewable energy and to sustainable jobs and economic development for our community,” said Stephen Kullmann, Vice President of the Board of Commissioners for the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District.
Specifically, the Humboldt Bay project will involve the construction of a modern marine terminal primarily for the transport, import, staging, preassembly, final assembly, launch, in-water construction, and long-term maintenance of floating offshore Wind Turbine Devices in the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District. The project also includes environmental protection measures such as an eco-shoreline.
Senator Padilla has long been a strong advocate for expanding the production and use of renewable energy, including offshore wind. Padilla and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein previously applauded the Biden Administration’s offshore wind energy lease sale off the coast of Central and Northern California in 2022, the first offshore wind lease sale off the West Coast. Padilla and Feinstein urged the Administration a month before to prioritize consultation with California coastal communities near the offshore wind energy lease sale. Last year, he announced $8.6 million for the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District through the Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s FY 2023 Port Infrastructure Development Program.
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