Energy: offshore wind generation.

Assembly Members Rogers and Connolly propose expanding California's infrastructure planning framework to incorporate port facilities needed for offshore wind energy development. Their legislation would modify the state's annual five-year infrastructure plan to include dedicated assessments of port infrastructure funding requirements beginning in fiscal year 2027-28.

The bill adds port infrastructure for offshore wind energy development to the Government Code's definition of infrastructure, placing it alongside existing categories like real property, structures, and water conveyances. Under the proposed changes, the Governor must evaluate federal, state, local, and private sector funding opportunities for port improvements in consultation with key agencies, including the Energy Commission, State Lands Commission, and Workforce Development Board. These assessments would complement, rather than replace, ports' existing processes for determining local infrastructure needs.

This planning expansion builds upon California's existing offshore wind initiatives, including the Energy Commission's strategic plan that identified requirements for multiple specialized port facilities to support turbine assembly, staging, and maintenance. The legislation connects to broader state clean energy goals, with the Energy Commission targeting 2-5 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 25 gigawatts by 2045. Implementation would be supported in part by $475 million in port infrastructure funding authorized through Proposition 4, the 2024 environmental bond measure.