Floating Offshore Wind Study: Benefits & Challenges for Oregon

Oregon recognizes the merits of studying and planning for offshore wind, though it has not committed to deployment targets. HB 3375 (2021) required ODOE to develop a legislative report that identifies the benefits and challenges of integrating up to 3 GW of floating offshore wind by 2030.

The Oregon Department of Energy published its 2022 Floating Offshore Wind Study on September 15, 2022.

Pursuant to the law, ODOE's study involved:

• Literature review on the benefits and challenges of integrating up to 3 GW of floating offshore wind into Oregon's electric grid by 2030.
• Development of prompting questions to help gather input from stakeholders on the topics identified in the literature review, including reliability, state renewable energy goals, jobs, equity and resilience.
• Convening, at minimum, two public meetings with interested stakeholders to provide a summary of the literature review and to gather feedback on key topics.
• Submitting a final report to the Legislature that summarizes the key findings from the literature review and stakeholder consultation, as well as opportunities for future study and engagement.

Stakeholder Engagement

HB 3375 called for broad stakeholder engagement with state, regional and national entities, including but not limited to:

• Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
• Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon)
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Oregon Public Utility Commission
• Northwest Power and Conservation Council
• Bonneville Power Administration
• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• United States Department of Defense

Meetings & Opportunities for Input

ODOE convened several meetings to provide information and opportunities for feedback between January - May 2022.