Humboldt Offshore Wind Enters Waiting Game, Timeline Uncertain
Arne Jacobson of the Schatz Energy Research Center told a December 3 Community Economic Resilience Consortium audience that Humboldt County's planned offshore wind development has effectively entered a waiting game, as federal reviews, rescinded port funding and corporate layoffs have chilled momentum. The California ISO has approved major transmission upgrades for the region, but a long and flexible timeline with an approximate completion target in late 2034 leaves local infrastructure, jobs and export ambitions in limbo.
Humboldt County faces a pause in the push to develop commercial scale offshore wind after energy expert Arne Jacobson described the project as being in a "waiting game" at a December 3 Community Economic Resilience Consortium meeting. Jacobson laid out a complex interaction between federal policy, state planning and private investment that has slowed progress, even as the California ISO approved major transmission upgrades intended to carry renewable power from the North Coast to state markets.
The transmission approval represents a significant planning step, but Jacobson emphasized that the timeline is long. He cited late 2034 as an approximate completion target for the upgrades, and he warned that the schedule could shift. Meanwhile federal actions earlier in 2025, including an executive order review of offshore leasing and a rescinded federal port grant, have introduced uncertainty into project logistics and local port planning. Companies that purchased Humboldt lease areas announced layoffs in 2025, further chilling private investment and signaling weaker near term market commitment.
For Humboldt County residents the stakes are practical and immediate. Approved transmission upgrades would enable large scale infrastructure improvements, create export capacity for fabricated components, and support potential local jobs in construction, manufacturing and port operations. Those economic opportunities remain hypothetical while investors and public agencies continue to incur holding costs on leases and preparatory investments, a dynamic Jacobson noted could not persist indefinitely if market conditions do not improve.
Policy developments in Washington and corporate decisions will determine whether the backlog resolves or deepens. If federal leasing reviews conclude favorably and port funding is restored, private bidders could renew investment and the transmission timeline would gain urgency. If uncertainty continues, local planners and workforce programs will need contingency strategies to avoid overcommitting resources to a project with an uncertain schedule.
In the near term Humboldt officials, regional planners and labor organizations will be watching federal actions in early 2025, any shifts in the CAISO schedule and announcements from leaseholders closely, because those signals will determine whether the county moves from waiting to active development or faces a prolonged period of stalled investment.
