Morro Bay, California Wind Energy Area Risk Evaluation

INSPIRE Environmental, Inc. with its team of subject matter experts (SMEs) from Jacobs, H. T. Harvey & Associates, SEARCH, and Industrial Economics, was contracted by Ocean Winds (OWs) in 2022 to provide a desktop Risk Assessment of potential permitting risks associated with the anticipated sale and subsequent purchase of a potential lease block within the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area (WEA). The assessment detailed the anticipated risks for seven areas within the proposed construction and development footprint, including potential export cable routes and areas that extend around the proposed construction areas. The assessment of risk was conducted based on available spatial data and literature sources. The subsequent report outlined the methodology used to make risk assumptions and broke down risk areas by group and spatial area and provided an overview of areas with the greatest potential risks, and assumptions for potential impacts and implications.

A Fisheries Desktop Study was conducted under a separate task within the risk assessment study to determine potential financial risks to fisheries located near or within the Morro Bay WEA. The desktop study provided a summary of the potential financial compensation for adverse impacts during the proposed Morro Bay WEA construction, operation, and decommissioning.

INSPIRE Environmental developed an online and interactive webmap (i.e., platform) for use by SMEs and OWs. The platform has a user-friendly interface that allows technical and non-technical users to easily vet, interact with, and interpret numerous spatial datasets for decision-making purposes. Because the platform can quickly visualize data form numerous data sources in an intuitive fashion, the platform is also an iterative tool that follows the project’s life cycle to facilitate all project activities from start to finish. Users can expect the same level of functionality throughout the project without having to spend time learning another geospatial tool, and being a cloud-based platform that queries data stored on a secure server, the platform can be accessed on any computer with an Internet connection, a modern browser, and appropriate set of login credentials. This cloud-based delivery system allows for the rapid and secure delivery of updated data and visualization features, ensuring the latest data are available for all users. For the purposes of this risk assessment, the spatial mapping application was created to provide the user an interactive tool for identifying risk across the proposed construction footprint. Data linked to the platform can be viewed as a companion to the risk decisions provided in the Risk Evaluation. Should new risk information become available, it can be added to the web application in real time to determine how it may or may not impact the project.