Where would the Humboldt wind farms be located, and how many turbines would there be?

The Humboldt Wind Energy Area (WEA). Source: BOEM (5)

The Humboldt Wind Energy Area (WEA) (1) is located 20–29 miles off the coast of Wigi (2)/Humboldt Bay, and comprises 132,352 acres, or 206.8 square miles. Exactly how many turbines would be placed in this space has not yet been decided by the developers and regulators, partially due to (3) the region’s uncertain future electrical transmission capacity. Recently constructed projects on the East Coast have utilized a uniform grid (4) in which turbines are placed one nautical mile apart from each other, allowing ships to navigate the wind farm and ensuring that turbines, platforms, and cables do not interfere with each other. This also may benefits birds and marine life, which have more room to maneuver between wind turbines. The Humboldt WEA could host up to 200 turbines in this pattern, but whether the same pattern would be implemented here on the West Coast is currently unknown. The NREL Representative Project Design Envelope for California published in August 2024 analyzed potential turbine spacings between 0.5 and 1.6 nautical miles. (7)

Proposal for a uniform 1 X 1 nm wind turbine layout for New England Offshore Wind. Source: Orsted et al 2019 (6)

References​

1. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. (n.d.). Humboldt Wind Energy Area. www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/humboldt-wind-energy-area

2. Wiyot Tribe. (n.d.). Wiyot Placename Video [Video]. www.wiyot.us/162/Wiyot-Placename-Video 

3. Vanderheiden, I. (2023, March 20). California’s Aging Electrical Infrastructure Presents Hurdle for Offshore Wind Development on the North Coast. Lost Coast Outpost. https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2023/mar/20/whats-next-offshore-wind-humboldt/ 

4. Vineyard Wind. (2019, November 19). New England Offshore Wind Leaseholders Submit Uniform Layout Proposal to the U.S. Coast Guard. www.vineyardwind.com/press-releases/2019/11/19/new-england-offshore-wind-leaseholders-submit-uniform-layout-proposal-to-the-us-coast-guard 

5. U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. (2022, February 3). Humboldt Wind Energy Area [Image]. www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/images/PAC_10006_HumboldtWEA_Lat_Long_2022_02_03.jpg 

6. Orsted, et al. (2019, November 1). Proposal for a uniform 1 X 1 nm wind turbine layout for New England Offshore Wind. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a2eae32be42d64ed467f9d1/t/5dd3d3e476d4226b2a83db25/1574163438896/Proposed+1x1+layout+from+RI-MA+Leaseholders+1+Nov+19+%281%29.pdf

7. Cooperman, Auubryn, Michael Biglu, Matt Hall, Daniel Mulas Hernando, and Stein Housner. 2024 Representative Project Design Envelope for Floating Offshore Wind Energy: A Focus on the California 2023 Federal Leases. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Available at https://www.boem.gov/sites/default/files/documents/renewable-energy/state-activities/RDPE_Final.pdf