See video with Summit Highlights here (3 min.)

Highlights of Keynote Addresses, Panel Discussions, and Summit news:

Press Releases

Day One: News Release from Offshore Wind California — “Leaders at Pacific Offshore Wind Summit urge California to move with speed & scale to deploy nation-leading 25 GW of floating offshore wind, meet climate, clean-energy, grid-reliability goals”, May 10, 2023
See full release also at PR Newswire 

Day Two: News Release from Offshore Wind California — “California sets a course to go big on floating offshore wind, make it a central part of its 100% clean-energy future, wins support of state & federal leaders at Pacific Offshore Wind Summit”, May 11, 2023
See full release also at PR Newswire

News Articles

Cal Poly report highlights offshore wind's potential to spur green energy transition, by Adrian Vincent Rosas, San Luis Obispo New Times, June 8, 2023

Opinion: It’s time for California to decide the future of its floating offshore wind industry, by Justin Gerdes, Energy Monitor, May 31, 2023

Thanks to Tribal partnerships, California can lead the world on offshore wind, by Violet Sage Walker, Capitol Weekly, May 31, 2023 

California tests waters of offshore wind strategy, by Heather Richards, E&E News, May 16, 2023

West Coast States Should Collaborate on OSW, Panelists Say, by Hudson Sangree, RTO Insider, May 15, 2023

Calif. needs offshore wind road map, industry tells leaders, by Heather Richards, E&E News, May 11, 2023  

California Positioned as Key Market for West Coast Offshore Wind, by Michael Bates, North American Windpower, May 11, 2023 

Offshore Wind Industry Driving Newsom Push For State Power-Buying Entity, by Curt Barry, Inside EPA, May 11, 2023 

California port plans 'largest US offshore wind terminal' at cost of up to $7bn, by Tim Ferry, Recharge News, May 10, 2023  

Provisional winners of Pacific offshore wind auction call for procurement, port plans, by Kavya Balaraman, Utility Dive, May 10, 2023 

Newsom wades into the deep end, by Camille Von Kaenel and Wes Venteicher, Politico, May 8, 2023 

Offshore Wind California – Pacific Offshore Wind Summit, RTO Insider, May 8, 2023

Keynote Speakers and Panel Discussions

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Keynote Speakers

Panel Discussions

Panel: Five New Leaseholders from California's Initial Offshore Wind Lease Sale
Stephanie McClellan, Moderator, Executive Director, Turn Forward
Michael Brown, CEO, Ocean Winds North America
Sam Eaton, President & CEO, RWE
Lars Pedersen, CEO, Vineyard Offshore
Bryan Schueler, Senior EVP, Invenergy
Igor Volner, Head of Business Development, US & Americas, Equinor
View panel discussion

Panel: Going Big on California Offshore Wind – State & Federal Progress & Direction
Josh Kaplowitz, Moderator, Vice President, Offshore Wind, American Clean Power Association
Doug Boren, Regional Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Elizabeth Huber, Director of Siting, Transmission, and Environmental Protection Division, California Energy Commission
Le-Quyen Nguyen, Deputy Secretary for Energy, California Natural Resources Agency
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Panel: Building a Sustainable Offshore Wind Industry in California – Growing to 25 GW by 2045 & Beyond
Adam Stern, Moderator, Executive Director, Offshore Wind California
Tony Appleton, Offshore Wind Director, Burns & McDonnell
Ruth Perry, Board Chair, Offshore Wind California
Dominik Schwegmann, Head of Development Offshore West, RWE
Paul James Sørheim, Commercial Manager, California & U.S. West Coast, Equinor
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Panel: Roadmap for Timely, Efficient Federal & California Offshore Wind Permitting
Whitney Fiore, Moderator, National Offshore Wind Lead, SWCA Environmental Consultants
Lia Howard, Permitting Senior Manager, Golden State Wind
Kate Huckelbridge, Executive Director, California Coastal Commission
Jennifer Lucchesi, Executive Officer, California State Lands Commission
Rick Yarde, Regional Supervisor, Office of Environment, Pacific Region, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
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Panel: Coexisting with Ocean Users: Monitoring & Mitigating Wildlife & Fisheries Impacts
Dan Jacobson, Moderator, Senior Advisor, Environment California
Mike Conroy, West Coast Director, Responsible Offshore Development Alliance
Irene Gutierrez, Senior Attorney, National Resource Defense Center
Holly Wyer, Senior Environmental Scientist, California Coastal Commission
View panel discussion

Panel: California Offshore Wind's Role in a Just Energy Transition
Hillary Bright, Moderator, US VP of Renewables, Xodus Group
Eddie Ahn, Executive Director, Brightline Defense
Jana Ganion, Sustainability and Government Affairs Director, Blue Lake Rancheria, California
Lucia Marquez, Associate Policy Director, CAUSE
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Panel: Responsible Siting to Balance Offshore Wind Development & Sea-Space Challenges
Nikki Buffa, Moderator, Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP
Chuck Bonham, Director, California Department of Fish & Wildlife
Jenn Eckerle, Executive Director, Ocean Protection Council
Scott Flint, California Energy Commission
Jennifer Miller, Chief of the Renewable Energy Section, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Dr. Michael McGinnis, Principal, Bioregional Planning Associates
View panel discussion

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Keynote Speakers

Panel Discussions

Panel: Advancing Technology to Accelerate Offshore Wind Deployment & Cost Reductions
Prof. Willett Kempton, Moderator, Professor, University of Delaware
Ali Alrayes, Business Development Manager, Vineyard Offshore
Dr. Aubryn Cooperman, Offshore Wind Engineering Analyst, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Mike Olsen, VP, Strategy & Partnerships - Renewables U.S., Aker Solutions
Aaron Smith, Chief Commercial Officer, Principle Power
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Panel: Driving Success for Floating Offshore Wind Industry – California Jobs, Workforce & a Sustainable Supply Chain
Nancy Kirshner-Rodriguez, Moderator, Senior Director for Policy & Outreach, The Business Network for Offshore Wind
Madison Flynn, Partner, Lost Coast Wind
Jeff Hunerlach, Secretary-Treasurer / District Representative, Operating Engineers Local #3, Building & Construction Trades Council of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties
Hertz Ramirez, Business Manager, LiUNA Local 220
Brian Sabina, CEO, Clean Energy Terminals
View panel discussion  

Panel: Investing in Seaport Facilities and Planning a Multi-Port Infrastructure Strategy
Alla Weinstein, Moderator, Founder & CEO, Trident Winds
Jeff Andreini, Vice President, Crowley Wind Services
Joshua Boswell, Vice President of Policy + Economic Development, REACH
Suzanne Plezia, Senior Director / Chief Harbor Engineer, Port of Long Beach
Larry Oetker, Executive Director, Humboldt Bay Harbor District
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Panel: Procurement at Scale – Perspectives on Mechanisms for Offshore Wind Offtake
Brian White, Moderator, Legislative Advocate, KP Public Affairs
Michael Backstrom, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Southern California Edison
Leuwam Tesfai, Deputy Executive Director for Energy and Climate Policy, California Public Utilities Commission
Mark Toney, Executive Director, TURN—The Utility Reform Network
Beth Vaughan, Executive Director, California Community Choice Association
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Panel: Connecting Offshore Wind to California's Grid – Accelerating Transmission Planning & Interconnection
Amy DiCarlantonio, Moderator, Vice President, Advisory Services - Planning Operations, WSP
Travis Douville, Wind Energy Grid Integration Lead, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Dr. Arne Jacobson, Director, Schatz Energy Research Center
Neil Millar, Vice President, Infrastructure and Operations Planning, California Independent System Operator
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Panel: Concrete Steps Toward Regional Collaboration to Enhance Opportunities for Offshore Wind in the Pacific
Jason Busch, Moderator, Executive Director, Pacific Ocean Energy Trust
Ryan Calkins, Commissioner, Port of Seattle
Molly Croll, Pacific Offshore Wind Director, American Clean Power Association
Greg Murphy, Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Intesa Communications Group
View panel discussion