State of Oregon publishes draft offshore wind roadmap

The draft was developed after a year of advice from a roundtable group representing groups with interests in the future of offshore wind in Oregon.

The draft is also a product of consultation with representatives of federally recognized tribes in Oregon, feedback provided during public meetings, and meetings with existing ocean users and wind energy businesses.

The Roadmap will be completed by mid-2026 and submitted to the Oregon legislature as recommendations.

House Bill 4080, passed by the 2024 Oregon Legislature, directed the Department of Land Conservation and Development to develop an Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap to ‘define standards to be considered in the processes related to offshore wind energy development and approval.’ The aim is to produce a comprehensive guide for Oregon to responsibly evaluate, plan, and manage potential offshore wind energy development while addressing the needs, concerns, and interests of the many people and communities who could be affected. 

The Roadmap does not recommend whether offshore wind energy should be built off Oregon’s coast. Instead, it outlines the conditions, processes, and standards from which it could proceed responsibly while protecting the interests of coastal communities, federally recognized tribes in Oregon, fisheries, and ecosystems while advancing Oregon’s clean energy and climate goals. 

Rather than focusing solely on developing offshore wind energy, the Roadmap identifies four future scenarios: large-scale development of between 1 GW and 3 GW; pilot projects; economic participation without wind turbines; and opting out entirely.