Community

Increased employment on the Somoa Peninsula and in the Humnoldt Bay Harbor would likely lead to an increase in vehicle traffic as employees come and go to work.

The proposed Humboldt offshore wind project would likely increase local vessel traffic. Vessels would bring offshore wind turbine components to the proposed Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal Project from around the country and world for final integration. In addition, tow vessels would periodically be towing the completed turbines out to sea for installation and back to the bay for maintenance.

Del Norte County has a minimum of about a decade before any offshore wind energy production happens, the need for construction jobs could be felt in Del Norte County as soon as 2030 with another uptick in 2040.

With increases in funding and focus in the space comes questions regarding how the public eye views offshore winds. A poll based out of Washington D.C. found that majorities of both political parties favored offshore wind development both at a state and national level. Voters support incorporating more renewable energy into the energy grid and acknowledge that offshore wind contributes to making the U.S. more energy independent.

The North Coast’s offshore wind resources are world-class, both in their strength and consistency, such that offshore wind turbines located off of our coast could consistently produce an exceptional amount of energy.

The proposed new 500/115-kilovolt (kV) transformer and approximately 6-mile line connecting offshore wind energy to the local Humboldt Bay grid means that electricity generated by offshore wind would directly benefit residents around Wigi/Humboldt Bay and those directly connected to the local Humboldt Bay electric grid.

A Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) is an agreement entered into by a developer and a community to ensure that local community members directly benefit from development in their area and to help address concerns. CBAs have been used for decades in combination with large-scale development and can take many different forms, ranging from funds to support local services to direct investments in infrastructure. ​

Increased economic activity in the greater Humboldt area could feasibly increase property values as the region has more economic activity.

According to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the construction and operation of wind turbines could negatively affect commercial, recreational, and Tribal fishing in a variety of ways.

The perspectives of Tribal Nations on offshore wind are not monolithic, and vary by Tribal Government.

Building and operating the Humboldt offshore wind farm would require many different kinds of workers.

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Crisis is an ongoing public health crisis facing Indigenous People across the United States.