What Could Offshore Wind Mean for Oregon?

Boosting Our Economy

Responsibly developed offshore wind energy could add billions of dollars to Oregon’s economy. Building the infrastructure needed for development has the potential to add several thousand new, good-paying jobs in Oregon by 2050 — spanning construction, operations, maintenance, and more.

• Depending on how much energy is produced, estimates project that offshore wind development in Oregon could create more than 2,000 long-term jobs by 2040 and support more than 2,300 long-term operations and maintenance jobs after the project is built.
• As part of a possible Community Benefits Agreement, job training and local hiring may be included as development requirements.
• Through a project labor agreement, the developer can be required to add family wage, union jobs with strong safety and health standards.

Protecting Our Climate

Oregon has experienced some of the most devastating impacts of climate change: a longer and more intense wildfire season, record droughts, and increasingly dangerous extreme weather events across the state. These impacts have been felt most acutely by frontline communities — Black, brown, Indigenous, low-income, and rural communities.

As the climate crisis has worsened, Oregon has set important goals to reduce climate-heating pollution and our reliance on dirty fossil fuels — including a goal of 100% clean energy by 2040.

• Offshore wind could “play a critical role in helping Oregon and the region achieve mid-century clean energy and decarbonization policies,” according to an Oregon Department of Energy report.
• A typical 2 megawatt wind turbine avoids around 4,000-4,500 tons of carbon emissions annually, according to American Clean Power. That’s equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of more than 700 cars — this means cleaner air for all of us.
• By providing a major new renewable, clean energy source, offshore wind will reduce our reliance on dirty power plants — which are often located near frontline communities, directly harming air quality and public health.

Strengthening Our Communities

Responsibly developed offshore wind could deliver significant benefits to Oregon communities, particularly the coastal communities where the projects would be built. As part of their bid to secure a lease, offshore wind developers can choose to offer Tribal benefits, community benefits, and funds to mitigate environmental and financial impacts arising from development and contribute to equitable, shared prosperity. These agreements are legally binding contracts negotiated directly between developers and communities.

Community agreements in other states have included provisions for

• Affordable housing
• Community development funds
• Jobs training programs and local hiring commitments
• Funding for community services and facilities such as parks, child care centers, schools, and health clinics
• More reliable energy infrastructure and energy equity for rural and Tribal communities

Communities can come together to advocate for specific, equitable benefits in preparation for negotiations with developers. In California in 2022, the Redwood CORE Hub brought together many sectors of the community to develop a letter outlining specific community benefits that the region wished to see from a future agreement. The group then submitted the letter to BOEM for inclusion in the Proposed Sale Notice for the Humboldt offshore wind lease auction.