California keeps betting on offshore wind amid political clash with Donald Trump

California’s big wind bet

California isn’t backing down on offshore wind, even as the Trump administration tries to shut it down. The state’s California Offshore Wind Energy Program aims to generate 25 gigawatts of power by 2045.

That’s enough clean electricity for about 25 million homes. And California is spending big to make it happen, starting with a huge new project at the Port of Long Beach. The port will create land for the project through a massive dredge-and-fill operation in the water.

A $4.7 billion terminal

The California Offshore Wind Energy Program includes a massive 400-acre site called Pier Wind at the Port of Long Beach. It will be used to store and assemble some of the world’s largest floating turbines.

These turbines will be towed north to federal waters off Morro Bay and Humboldt Bay, about 20 miles from shore. It’s a huge bet on floating wind technology, which works in deep Pacific waters where traditional turbines can’t be installed.

Why floating turbines?

Most East Coast wind farms use turbines bolted to the ocean floor. But off California, the water gets very deep very fast, so the California Offshore Wind Energy Program needs floating turbines. These giants are built onshore, then towed out and anchored.

It’s newer technology, but California believes it’s the future. And the state is moving forward even as the federal government pulls back on renewable energy projects nationwide.

Trump’s payout strategy

The Trump administration has offered energy companies nearly $2 billion to walk away from offshore wind leases. TotalEnergies agreed to give up offshore wind leases off New York and North Carolina in a deal tied to reimbursement of about $928 million. Ocean Winds also reached a refund deal reportedly worth up to $915 million for projects off New York and California.

The deals require the companies to redirect investment toward oil, gas or LNG projects instead of U.S. offshore wind. The administration has taken repeated actions to slow or halt offshore wind development since President Trump returned to office.

Fun fact: The TotalEnergies deal alone killed enough planned clean power to supply over 4 million homes.

Court wins for wind

Despite Trump’s efforts, offshore wind keeps winning in court. A federal judge struck down his wind ban in December 2025, saying the effort to halt wind energy projects was arbitrary and capricious and violated U.S. law.

Courts have now ruled against the administration five times in its attempts to stop offshore wind projects from being built. So even with the political fights, the legal system has mostly sided with wind energy.

Billions in local benefits

Offshore wind isn’t just about clean power. The canceled Golden State Wind project off California included more than $24 million in bid-credit commitments for workforce training and domestic supply-chain development.

State planning documents estimate that scaling offshore wind could support roughly 8,000 project development, installation and operations jobs. That could create opportunities for welders, electricians, port workers and technicians as California builds a new floating-wind industry.

Lower electric bills

Wind has no fuel cost once turbines are operating, which can help protect customers from fossil-fuel price swings when projects are priced competitively. In Massachusetts, the Vineyard Wind project is expected to save customers $1.4 billion on electricity bills over 20 years.

The project is also expected to cut carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million metric tons per year. That is roughly equal to taking 325,000 cars off the road annually or avoiding the burning of more than 3.7 million barrels of oil

Red states love wind too

Wind power also has deep red-state roots. The top wind-generating states in EIA’s latest state summary were Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Illinois, with Texas leading the country.

That makes wind energy a practical power source across political lines, especially in states with strong wind resources.

Fun fact: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wind turbine service technician is the fastest-growing job in the entire U.S. economy, with projected growth of nearly 49.9% by 2034.

Jobs boom coming

Wind turbine service technician is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. wind sector employs roughly 133,000 people, while direct oil and gas extraction employed about 115,000 workers in spring 2026.

For young people looking for stable, well-paying work, wind energy can offer a path through trade-school programs, technical certificates and on-the-job training. Many technician roles do not require a four-year college degree.

Global race continues

Even if the U.S. slows down, other countries are racing ahead. California joined the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, whose members seek to help reach at least 380 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity worldwide by 2030.

That global push could create opportunities for companies that develop floating-wind expertise, supply chains and port infrastructure now. Countries with deep-water coastlines are watching floating wind closely because the technology can work in places where fixed-bottom turbines are not practical.

State vs federal fight

California isn’t waiting for federal policy to settle. Voters approved Proposition 4 in 2024, and the state has appropriated about $225.7 million for offshore wind port development, including $42.75 million in grants for waterfront facility improvements at Long Beach, Humboldt, Oakland, Richmond, and San Luis.

State agencies are focusing on what they can control now: port infrastructure, supply-chain readiness, and transmission planning for floating offshore wind.

What’s at risk?

Federal delays could put a large amount of planned wind development at risk. Recent reporting says more than 250 onshore wind projects across more than 30 states have been stalled while the Department of Defense conducts national-security reviews.

Those delayed projects represent at least 30 gigawatts of potential electricity, enough to power millions of homes. House Democrats have pressed the administration for answers about the slowdown and its effect on clean-energy development.

If you want to see how these policy fights are playing out across the state, check out Political storms are testing California Democrats in new ways for a closer look at what’s shaping California politics right now.

Hope for the future

California’s offshore wind plan rests on a long-term bet that fuel-free clean power can help diversify the grid and reduce exposure to volatile fossil-fuel prices. Once turbines are operating, the wind itself has no fuel cost.

While federal policy remains uncertain, California is continuing to plan for floating offshore wind through port investments, transmission planning and its 2045 offshore wind target.

If you want to see how California’s energy debates are colliding with budget fights in Sacramento, check out Gavin Newsom criticized by California lawmaker over unemployment debt burden.

If you enjoyed learning about California’s bold offshore wind push, hit that like button and drop a comment with your take.

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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