AB 2688: Energy: offshore wind infrastructure.

25666.

(a) The commission shall establish and administer a program to support offshore wind infrastructure improvements in order to advance the capabilities of California ports, harbors, and other waterfront facilities to support the buildout of offshore wind facilities and maximize the economic and environmental benefits of an offshore wind industry in California.

(b) The commission may develop guidelines for purposes of this article. Eligible applicants shall include California port authorities, port operators, port commissions, and their respective authorized agents, other California waterfront facilities, and other entities that demonstrate a commitment to California offshore wind energy investments and are partnered with a California waterfront facility.

(c) Moneys allocated pursuant to this article may be used for any of the following purposes:

(1) Category I activities. Category I activities support developing individual or regional retrofit concepts and investment plans. Category I activities may include planning, feasibility analysis, business case development, environmental analyses, engineering and design work, and other offshore wind energy related planning and development activities.

(2) Category II activities. Category II activities support final design, engineering, environmental studies and review, and construction of retrofits. Category II activities may support a range of retrofit activities to support deployment of offshore wind energy, including land expansion for component assembly, staging, and transportation, facility updates such as adding laydown and storage areas, increasing heavy-lift crane weight and height capabilities, and other improvements to support the long-term operation and maintenance of offshore wind generation facilities, and other offshore wind energy related design and development activities.

(3) Providing cost share funding to an eligible applicant that receives a federal award for purposes consistent with Category I or Category II activities. Moneys allocated pursuant to this paragraph shall be known as Category III funds.

(4) Preliminary engineering and environmental review work, including taking actions and preparing material to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000)) or federal environmental laws.

(d) Moneys allocated pursuant to this article may be used for one or more purposes described in subdivision (c), to the extent it is consistent with the commission’s guidelines and the scope of the allocation.