US West Coast floating wind Potential 33GW

[Sparty]

A DOE report from January 15 analyzed floating wind potential on the US West Coast:

Key findings:

Potential capacity: Up to 33 GW by 2050
Recommended deployment: 15 GW by 2035 (13 GW California, 2 GW Oregon), expanding to 33 GW by 2050
Would support Western US goal of 400 GW new generation

Major challenges:

Lack of port/grid infrastructure ($11B investment needed)
Limited floating wind technology experience (only one floating substation globally)
Deep waters requiring floating vs fixed-bottom turbines

Benefits:

Can transport power from other renewable sources
Flexible maintenance (turbines can be towed to port)
Supports broader transmission buildout

(33 GW of offshore wind could power roughly 12.2 million American households.)