The Power of Offshore Wind: Hope, Trust, and the Pacific Ocean
By: Sarah Xu
When you think about offshore wind development, what comes to mind? Perhaps you imagine turbines standing in the middle of the ocean, spinning their arms as the sea breeze blows. But beyond this picture, what do you know about offshore wind and its impact on environmental policy and justice?
Why offshore wind?
Offshore wind harnesses the reliability and abundance of wind across the ocean, including the Pacific, to create a critical energy source that serves the United States. It’s a source of power that can get us to meet clean energy demands while bolstering the reliability of a grid without fossil fuels. By embracing offshore wind, California is leading the charge in transitioning to a clean energy economy.
At Brightline, we also know and embrace the power of offshore wind. But beyond its benefits to clean energy, what we’re most interested in is how offshore wind can offer opportunities to address inequities of the past and pave the way for a fairer, more just process for those most impacted by its development. Renewable energy advancements shouldn't come at the expense of community well-being, so we’re building a world where nobody is left behind.
How can offshore wind benefit communities?
Offshore wind can offer economic growth and healthier air to California’s frontline and historically underserved people. It holds the potential to create thousands of jobs, cleaner air, and generational benefits for local communities. There is a ton of excitement around offshore wind as a new potential source of clean energy. And not only excitement but actual investment in further development at the state and federal levels.
As Brightline’s Senior Policy Associate, it’s my job to shepherd this support into the equitable development of offshore wind and decarbonization. The large-scale investments in clean energy and building decarbonization offer a great chance to not only center the voices of impacted communities but also put them at the helm of guiding development in their communities.
How is Brightline working with communities impacted by offshore wind development?
Being a San Francisco-based organization rooted in community advocacy, our policy work is intrinsically tied to local needs. Having our boots on the ground allows us to uplift these needs to decision-makers, as well as facilitate conversations between policy leaders and frontline community members themselves. At the same time, we are building relationships with state leaders and agencies in order to better understand how they are approaching clean energy investments. In doing so, we can make sure frontline voices get a seat at the table of decision-makers. Building trust and fostering real conversations and relationships live at the core of the work we do. And we want to share that work with you.
Offshore wind and environmental justice
To me, to work in environmental justice is to have hope — to believe in our power to create a better, healthier future for ourselves and future generations. A future free of air that isn’t safe to breathe, where your paycheck doesn’t determine your risk to environmental pollutants. I care deeply for the health of our planet, but a big part of what I do is to protect the people who are most impacted by our climate. A people-first approach to policy work means that frontline voices are not just heard, but drive the transformation our environment needs for a sustainable future. Offshore wind is one way we can make that future a reality.
In solidarity,
Sarah Xu
Sarah is Brightline’s Senior Policy Associate, leading our policy work on empowering communities through thoughtful policymaking. Sarah focuses on offshore wind development, energy reliability, energy resiliency, decarbonization and co-leads youth empowerment programs.
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