POLITICO Energy

Why California’s offshore wind ambitions face big challenges

Episode Summary

California is planning to build dozens of massive floating wind turbines in coastal waters off one of the state’s poorer, most remote areas at a scale and depth never before attempted in the world. It’s an important project to both the Biden administration and the Newsom administration’s climate goals, but it faces major financial, logistical, and community challenges. POLITICO’s Wes Venteicher breaks down the project’s significance, community impact, and the roadblocks. Plus, the Environmental Protection Agency says about 8 percent of U.S. drinking water systems detected unsafe levels of a pair of highly toxic "forever chemicals" in the first half of this year.  For more news on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. Wes Venteicher covers climate and energy energy news in California for POLITICO. Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. Annie Rees is a senior audio producer-host at POLITICO. Gloria Gonzalez is the deputy energy editor for POLITICO. Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO.

Episode Notes

California is planning to build dozens of massive floating wind turbines in coastal waters off one of the state’s poorer, most remote areas at a scale and depth never before attempted in the world. It’s an important project to both the Biden administration and the Newsom administration’s climate goals, but it faces major financial, logistical, and community challenges. POLITICO’s Wes Venteicher breaks down the project’s significance, community impact, and the roadblocks. Plus, the Environmental Protection Agency says about 8 percent of U.S. drinking water systems detected unsafe levels of a pair of highly toxic "forever chemicals" in the first half of this year. 

 

For more news on energy and the environment, subscribe to Power Switch, our free evening newsletter: https://www.politico.com/power-switch

And for even deeper coverage and analysis, read our Morning Energy newsletter by subscribing to POLITICO Pro: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/newsletter-archive/morning-energy

 

Josh Siegel is an energy reporter for POLITICO. 

Wes Venteicher covers climate and energy energy news in California for POLITICO. 

Nirmal Mulaikal is a POLITICO audio host-producer. 

Annie Rees is a senior audio producer-host at POLITICO. 

Gloria Gonzalez is the deputy energy editor for POLITICO. 

Matt Daily is the energy editor for POLITICO.