Trump Rollback on Offshore Wind Zones Sparks Backlash, But Morro Bay Project Remains Intact
Ryder Christ
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — On Wednesday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) rescinded all designated federal Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, rolling back more than 3.5 million acres previously set aside for offshore wind development, including areas off the California coast.
Despite the sweeping rollback, the decision will not impact existing leases, including those tied to California’s offshore wind projects like the one near Morro Bay.
“This order, which the administration previewed through its action in January to end leasing of offshore wind in federal waters, does not affect existing leases, including those off California’s coast,” said American Clean Power-California spokesperson Wes Venteicher.
“The proposed federal interference with private economic activity is unprecedented and creates a troubling challenge for critical energy infrastructure investment of any kind — especially at a time of increasing energy demand. Offshore wind energy promises stable electricity pricing, good-paying jobs and grid reliability for California.”
Three global companies—Equinor (Atlas Offshore Wind), Golden State Wind, and Invenergy California Offshore—invested $425 million to develop floating wind farms across 376 square miles off the San Luis Obispo County coast. They also pledged an additional $27 million in community benefits and $66 million toward workforce training.
The region underwent extensive review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), culminating in a Final Environmental Assessment and a “Finding of No Significant Impact” in October 2022. In December 2022, BOEM held its first-ever offshore wind lease auction on the West Coast, awarding three leases within the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area—along with others off Humboldt Bay—covering roughly 373,000 acres with an estimated generation capacity of 3 to 4.5 gigawatts.
The Morro Bay wind project and the newly established Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary were designed to coexist through a carefully negotiated compromise. In October 2024, NOAA finalized the sanctuary’s boundaries, intentionally excluding the federally leased wind energy zones off Morro Bay to allow for the installation of subsea transmission cables.
Earlier that year, the Northern Chumash Tribal Council reached an agreement with the offshore wind developers expressing support for the sanctuary’s creation while allowing necessary infrastructure for floating wind energy. The adjusted boundary ensures that both cultural and environmental protections, as well as renewable energy development, can proceed without conflict.
When asked whether Trump’s latest rollback on offshore wind farms will disrupt development of the Morro Bay Wind Farm project, Venteich declined to comment.
The CADEMO Floating Wind Demonstration Project remains unaffected. Located 2.5 to 2.8 nautical miles offshore from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, the project lies entirely within California jurisdiction.
CADEMO plans to install four floating wind turbines, each capable of generating 12 to 15 megawatts, for a total output of around 60 megawatts. Developers have finalized a mitigation agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to ensure compatibility with Space Force operations. The project is expected to begin delivering power by late 2027.
Because CADEMO bypasses BOEM’s leasing process and is regulated under California’s permitting framework through the California State Lands Commission and CEQA, it is not impacted by the federal WEA rollback.
Meanwhile, actor Samuel L. Jackson is voicing support for offshore wind in a cheeky new marketing campaign by European energy company Vattenfall.
“Motherf—ing wind farms: Loud, ugly, harmful to nature. Who says that?” Jackson asks in the video.
The campaign promotes snacks made with seaweed grown near offshore wind installations.
Former President Donald Trump has long criticized wind energy.
“We’re not going to let windmills get built because we’re not going to destroy our country any further than it’s already been destroyed,” Trump said last month.
Rep. Salud Carbajal said the decision will hurt the nation’s wind energy sector and threaten thousands of jobs tied to the industry.
“Wind power is no longer theoretical—it’s vital to our economy and energy security. Undermining renewables not only hurts American workers and businesses, it hands the future of clean energy to global competitors like China. This is an America Last policy approach.”