Local Clean Energy Projects

• Benthic & Habitat: Potential impacts on seafloor features (corals/rock outcroppings) from anchors and cables.
• Marine Mammals: Risk of vessel strikes and noise disruption during site characterization.
• Recreational: Alteration of wave energy and industrialization of scenic coastal vistas.
• Estimated Avoided Global Heat Related Human Mortalities by Year 2100: 18,000
• Estimated Avoided Cases of People's Homes Shifted Outside of the Human Habitable Zone in 2070: 426,000

• Mandatory Conditions: 10-knot speed limits for survey vessels and strict prohibition of contact with sensitive seafloor habitats.
• Community Oversight: Coordination with the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary and Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) for local fishing communities.

• Commercial power from the Morro Bay lease areas is not expected until around 2036, which means decisions made in the next decade will shape how these projects affect whales, fisheries, tribal nations, ports, workers, and our coastline.

• APRIL 16, 2026, 9:00 A.M. Public Hearing: ENERGY, OCEAN RESOURCES, AND FEDERAL CONSISTENCY DIVISION
  • 8a. CD-0001-22 and CD-0004-22 Condition Compliance. Coastal Commission consideration of Statewide Strategy for the Coexistence of California Fishing Communities and Offshore Wind Energy developed by the California Offshore Wind Energy and Fisheries Working Group, as specified in condition 7c of CD-0001-22 and CD-0004-22.
• 2026–2027 Project survey and study phase: Developers conduct detailed site assessment surveys in and around the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area, with associated environmental monitoring and public notice opportunities.
• 2027–2029 Draft and final project‑level Environmental Impact Statements (EISs): Federal agencies are expected to review specific project proposals, publish draft EIS documents, and host public comment periods and hearings where local voices can weigh in on whale protections, fisheries, viewsheds, and port plans.
• Late 2020s Port and transmission decisions: State and local agencies advance key decisions about port upgrades, cable landfalls, and onshore transmission routes that will determine how much new industrial footprint lands on the Central Coast.
• Early 2030s Construction approvals and final design: If projects are approved, final design, construction plans, and mitigation measures are locked in, including vessel rules, monitoring requirements, and protections for sensitive habitats.
• Around 2036 Earliest expected commercial operations: Turbines could begin generating power around this time if projects clear all permitting, financing, and construction hurdles.

• BOEM, Morro Bay Wind Energy Area overview (lease area map, process, and FAQs). BOEM’s main Morro Bay WEA page with background, size, location (~240,898 acres, ~20 miles offshore), and explanation of the phased NEPA process (EA now, EIS at construction stage).
• BOEM, Morro Bay Wind Energy Area Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact. A direct link to the final EA and appendices for site assessment/characterization activities in the Morro Bay WEA.
• BOEM, Morro Bay Wind Energy Area Draft Environmental Assessment (archived). For people who want to see how the analysis evolved and public comments referenced the draft.
• BOEM, California Offshore Wind Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft PEIS, including Morro Bay leases). An executive summary of BOEM’s draft programmatic EIS covering Humboldt and Morro Bay lease areas and program‑level mitigation.
• Tethys, Morro Bay Wind Energy Area Environmental Data Catalog . A catalog of environmental data compiled to support the Morro Bay WEA NEPA review (habitat, oceanography, species, etc.).
• Sea Grant California, Port Infrastructure Assessment for California Offshore Winds. Explainer on what port infrastructure is needed to support floating offshore wind, NREL estimates of needed staging/O&M sites, and investment ranges (about 4 staging sites, 8 O&M sites, and billions in upgrades).
• SLC.CA.Gov, Offshore Wind Energy Development (Port Readiness and AB 525). A state overview of offshore wind work, including reference to the Port Readiness Plan, AB 525 goals (2–5 GW by 2030, 25 GW by 2045), and discussion of ports like Port San Luis, Diablo Canyon, and Morro Bay as operations and maintenance sites.
• SLC.CA.Gov, Offshore Wind Energy Development (AB 525 goals). 2030 and 2045 targets and explains AB 525’s role in setting planning goals and directing the strategic plan.
• CEC, Proposition 4 Offshore Wind Port Development Program. CEC page on up to $475 million in grants to publicly owned ports for offshore wind port development activities.
• CA.Gov, CEC Adopts Offshore Wind Energy Strategic Plan to Support California’s 100% Clean Electricity Future 
• NREL, Assessment of Offshore Wind Energy Leasing Areas for Humboldt and Morro Bay (transmission and grid integration). NREL report noting Morro Bay’s access to existing transmission infrastructure via the retired Morro Bay and Diablo Canyon power plants.
• NREL, The Cost of Floating Offshore Wind Energy in California Between 2019 and 2032 
• Wiley, Scenarios for offshore wind power production for Central California Call Areas 
• Brown Climate and Development Lab, Discourses of Climate Delay in the Campaign Against Offshore Wind: A Case Study from Rhode Island 
• McNevin & Miers, Quantifying Human Population Benefits from Renewable Energy Plants
• NOAA, Frequent questions: Offshore wind and whales. FAQ explaining NOAA’s role, how projects are reviewed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act, and stating “NOAA Fisheries does not anticipate and has not authorized, or proposed to authorize, death or serious injury of whales for any wind‑related action”.

Description: Offshore oil and gas leasing is the federal process that opens areas of the Outer Continental Shelf for companies to explore and extract oil and gas beneath the ocean floor. Lease sales are planned in multi‑year national programs, and each lease can lock in drilling and production (and associated climate pollution and spill risk) for decades. Surfrider’s Drilling is Killing campaign focuses on stopping new leases and accelerating the phase‑out of existing offshore drilling to protect coasts, climate, and communities.
Benefits: Supporters of offshore drilling argue that continued leasing can provide short‑term revenue, fossil fuel supply, and some jobs, especially in Gulf states. However, multiple analyses show the U.S. can meet its long‑term energy needs by rapidly scaling clean energy, improving efficiency, and modernizing the grid, without opening new offshore areas to drilling. Surfrider emphasizes that coastal tourism, recreation, and healthy fisheries already generate far more sustainable jobs and economic value than offshore oil and gas.
Environmental & Ecological Concerns: Offshore drilling harms the ocean at every stage, from seismic exploration to daily production to catastrophic spills. Seismic surveys bombard the seafloor with intense noise, disturbing marine mammals and other species that rely on sound to feed, communicate, and navigate. Routine drilling and production release toxic chemicals, industrial waste, and air pollution, even when there is no high‑profile spill. Major spills like the 1969 Santa Barbara blowout and more recent California and Gulf events have killed wildlife, smothered beaches and wetlands, and left scars that can take decades or more to heal. Burning the oil and gas produced from offshore fields drives ocean warming, sea level rise, and acidification, the same climate impacts already reshaping our coasts.
Mitigation Pathways: Once a spill happens, there is no truly “clean” way to clean it up;  booms, skimmers, chemical dispersants, and burning all have their own ecological costs. That is why Surfrider and many coastal states focus on prevention first: stopping new offshore lease sales, tightening oversight of existing platforms and pipelines, and requiring the strongest safety and inspection standards possible. In parallel, Surfrider calls for a managed phase‑out of offshore drilling that includes safe decommissioning and removal of aging platforms and infrastructure, robust restoration of damaged habitats, and just transition plans for workers and communities historically dependent on oil and gas. The most effective mitigation pathway is to replace offshore fossil fuels with rapid deployment of clean energy and efficiency, so we are no longer adding to the climate crisis that threatens the ocean itself.

Status: The current 2024-2029 federal Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program schedules only three potential new lease sales, all in the Gulf of Mexico—none off California. The program runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2029, with one Gulf sale planned in 2025, one in 2027, and one in 2029, and BOEM retains discretion over whether and how each sale actually proceeds. California has had a moratorium on new state offshore oil and gas leases since after the 1969 Santa Barbara disaster, but multiple older state and federal leases still operate off the California coast. These aging platforms and pipelines continue to present spill risks and ongoing pollution while locking in climate emissions from every barrel produced.

• Oppose any attempt to open new offshore areas to drilling off California.
• Push for safe, timely decommissioning and removal of aging offshore infrastructure.
• Support restoration of damaged beaches, wetlands, and marine habitats when spills or leaks occur.
• Advocate for a rapid, just transition to clean energy so we are not expanding the very fossil fuels driving coastal climate impacts.

• 2024-2029 Federal 5‑Year Leasing Program in effect: The 2024–2029 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program governs offshore oil leasing during this period, with three potential lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico only (2025, 2027, 2029). Each sale has its own proposal, environmental review, and public comment process.
• Lease Sale‑specific actions (Gulf of Mexico): For each Gulf lease sale, BOEM will identify proposed areas, prepare environmental analyses, and decide whether and how to proceed. These decisions have national climate and ocean implications, even if no new leasing is proposed off California.
• Ongoing, California oversight and decommissioning: The California State Lands Commission continues to oversee remaining state offshore leases, evaluate decommissioning plans, and weigh options such as full removal vs. “rigs‑to‑reefs.” Public meetings and comment periods shape how aging infrastructure off our coast is handled.
• Ongoing,  Surfrider “Drilling is Killing” actions: Surfrider’s national campaign tracks new federal leasing proposals, court cases, and policy changes that could expand offshore drilling. The campaign regularly issues alerts when major decisions or comment periods open for public input.

• Surfrider Foundation, Drilling is Killing campaign & Offshore Drilling Fact Sheet
• BOEM, 2024-2029 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program
• California State Lands Commission, Offshore Oil & Gas
• Surfrider, California Oil Spill Environmental Restoration campaign
• Surfrider podcast, Drilling is Killing: Surfrider’s Fight Against Offshore Drilling

• Description: Customer-sited photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on existing residential rooftops. Unlike utility-scale solar, these "behind-the-meter" systems generate power at the point of consumption, reducing the need for long-distance transmission lines and protecting natural landscapes.
• Benefits: Rooftop and small-scale solar currently provide approximately 10% of California’s total energy demand (over 19 GW installed). However, the state’s technical potential is immense; utilizing all viable residential and commercial roof space could meet up to 74% of California’s annual electricity needs.
• The NEM 3.0 Shift: In April 2023, California transitioned to Net Energy Metering 3.0 (NEM 3.0), which fundamentally changed the economics of rooftop solar. Under this new policy, the value of excess energy "sold" back to the grid was slashed by roughly 75%, significantly extending the payback period for solar-only systems and making the addition of battery storage nearly essential for financial viability.
• Environmental & Ecological Concerns: Minimal. This is the "gold standard" for low-impact energy.
• Siting: Uses entirely pre-developed surfaces. By maximizing rooftop solar, we reduce the pressure to build industrial-scale "solar deserts" that can displace sensitive coastal and inland habitats.
• Surfrider’s Position: STRONG SUPPORT. We advocate for policy reforms that make rooftop solar affordable for all Californians. Protecting our coasts means fighting for an energy grid that prioritizes distributed resources over massive, land-intensive infrastructure projects.

• Description: Small, portable photovoltaic (PV) systems (typically 400W–1,200W) designed for residential use. These "plug-and-play" units connect directly into standard 120V wall outlets, functioning like a common household appliance rather than a permanent utility installation.
• Benefits: Dramatically increases access to clean energy for renters and apartment dwellers. These systems reduce monthly electricity bills by up to $500/year, lower the carbon footprint of individual households, and remain fully portable for users who move.
• Status: California Senate Bill 868, known as the "Plug Into the Sun Act," is currently moving through the state legislature. It aims to reclassify these systems as appliances to remove utility "red tape," prohibitive permitting fees, and interconnection delays.
• Environmental & Ecological Concerns: Minimal to Zero. Unlike large-scale installations, micro solar utilizes the existing "gray" footprint of built environments.
• Siting: Uses existing residential surfaces such as balcony railings, patios, and fences. This avoids the land-use conflicts and habitat fragmentation often associated with large inland solar farms.
• Surfrider’s Position: STRONG SUPPORT. Surfrider advocates for decentralized, community-based renewable energy. This "bottom-up" transition empowers individuals to participate in the clean energy economy while protecting our coastal and inland open spaces from industrial-scale development.

• Description: Large-scale lithium-ion battery facilities designed to store renewable energy for use during peak demand hours.
• Benefits: Captures excess solar/wind energy during the day to prevent grid overloads and provides power between 4 PM and 9 PM when solar production drops.
• Status: 600 MW Vistra project proposed at the retired Morro Bay Power Plant site.
• Environmental & Ecological Concerns:
• Thermal Runaway: Potential for battery fires releasing toxic gases (carbon monoxide, methane).
• Water Quality: Fire-fighting runoff potentially carrying contaminants into local watersheds.
• Mitigation Pathways:
• Brownfield Prioritization: Utilizing previously industrial "brownfield" sites to avoid disturbing undeveloped coastal lands.
• Safety Engineering: Emergency response plans specifically designed to contain runoff and protect water quality.

• Description: A nuclear power facility located near Avila Beach. It is California's largest power plant and its most significant carbon-free energy asset.
• Benefits: Provides approximately 9% of California's total electricity and 17% of its carbon-free generation
• Status: Operational extension approved through 2029 (Unit 1) and 2030 (Unit 2). 20-year renewal under NRC review.
• Environmental & Ecological Concerns:
• Marine Impact: Once-through cooling (OTC) systems impinge and entrain marine life.
• Public Safety: Seismic risks from nearby Hosgri/Shoreline faults; potential reactor vessel embrittlement in Unit 1.
• Waste: Long-term storage of radioactive waste in a coastal zone vulnerable to sea-level rise.
• Mitigation Pathways:
• Restorative Mitigation: Permanent conservation of 12,000 acres of "Diablo Canyon Lands" and dedication of 25 miles of new public trails.
• Safety Mandates: Physical embrittlement testing required in 2025; comprehensive seismic reviews required for operations beyond 2030.
• Waste Management: Advocacy for swift transfer to dry cask storage and eventual relocation to a stable, consent-based repository.

• Description: The dismantling and environmental cleanup of the legacy Phillips 66 petroleum refinery in Arroyo Grande.
• Benefits: Removes a major source of industrial pollution and carbon emissions, allowing for the ecological restoration of the site.
• Status: Demolition and remediation of the Phillips 66 facility (Arroyo Grande) is currently active.
• Environmental & Ecological Concerns:
• Legacy Pollution: Long-term subsurface contamination from decades of petroleum processing.
• Mitigation Pathways:
• Rigorous Remediation: Continuous monitoring of the demolition phase and site-neutralization efforts as outlined in the 2024 Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

 The Central Coast has served as both a global hub and a victim of fossil fuel reliance. Understanding our history explains why our chapter is so dedicated to a clean energy future. 

• 1920s: The Oil Capital – Avila Beach was once the largest capacity oil shipping port in the world.
• 1926: The River of Fire – A lightning strike at the Tank Farm Road facility ignited 6 million gallons of crude oil. It flowed down San Luis Obispo Creek into Avila Bay in a "river of fire". Remediation and clean-up efforts at this site continue to the present day.
• 1969: The Great Blowout – The Platform Holly spill in the Santa Barbara Channel released an estimated 100,000 barrels. Tar balls polluted the San Luis Obispo County coast, marking the largest spill in California waters at the time.
• 1980s: Guadalupe Dunes Disaster – Decades of chronic leaks released an estimated 12 million gallons of diluent into the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes and the Pacific—the largest oil spill in the history of the continental U.S..
• 1990s: Avila’s Underground Plume – A 400,000-gallon plume of petroleum was discovered beneath downtown Avila Beach. Cleaning it required demolishing much of the downtown area and excavating 200,000 tons of soil by 2000. 

Our work isn't just about historical spills; it's about the active extraction happening in our backyard at the Arroyo Grande Oil Field in Price Canyon.

• Active vs. Idle: As of early 2026, the Arroyo Grande field remains one of the most carbon-polluting oilfields in the state. While over 800 wells have been drilled in the county since 1977, many older wells remain "idle" or abandoned, dating back to the early 1900s.
• Ongoing Expansion: Despite the 2015 permit expiration, regulators have authorized dozens of new wells under "replacement" labels, with additional permits for new drilling in California already being approved at record rates in January 2026.
• Restoration Efforts: There is a growing movement to permanently plug and abandon idle wells. For example, a 2026 plan was finalized to remove and restore the habitat of 11 idle wells in the nearby Carrizo Plain National Monument.

Our history is defined not just by spills, but by organized resistance. SLO County has been a pioneer in coastal protection policy:

• Measure A (1986): A landmark citizen-led initiative that requires voter approval for any onshore support facilities for offshore oil and gas. It remains the law of the County today.
• The Oil Train Victory (2017): Surfrider SLO, alongside an environmental coalition, successfully defeated the Phillips 66 "Oil Train" project. This victory prevented mile-long tankers of Alberta tar sands from rolling through our "blast zone" near homes, schools, and businesses.

 "This is a proud day for the thousands of Californians who stood up and said 'No' to its proposed crude oil train." - Charles Varni, Surfrider Foundation Slo Chair