Atlas Wind granted seafloor mapping permit for work off coast of Morro Bay

Seafloor mapping surveys will be taking place off the coast of Morro Bay. In a 10 to 1 vote, the California Coastal Commission granted the seafloor mapping permit last week.

The site surveys will occur from a quarter-mile off the coast of Morro Bay to just over three miles out in state waters and are a part of the Morro Bay Wind Energy Project.

If developed, the project could provide up to three gigawatts of clean energy, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, but not everyone is in favor of it.

“The floating wind turbines are really an unknown technology. There’s not a lot out there, very few,” said Andrea Lueker, REACT Alliance board member.

Others, like Paul Lariviere, feel it’s a good thing.

“I do want some clean sources of energy and that seems to be one that is available to us,” said Paul Lariviere, Morro Bay resident.

The approved surveys will include mapping seafloor features like sediment types, geotechnical sampling to confirm the mapping data, and habitat surveys.

A recent Coastal Commission report states the survey activities would create underwater sound but that a majority of those sounds would be at frequencies outside of the hearing range of marine wildlife. CCC staff says the sub-bottom profiler is the only piece of survey equipment operating at a frequency that marine mammals could hear.

“I’d hate to see anything happen to the wildlife. That is a very important aspect to me,” said Jerilyn Moore, Morro Bay resident.

Atlas Wind is heading up the project and said, “Surveying is a safe and effective tool used to enhance our understanding of the lease and surrounding areas and of the overall marine environment to inform responsible development of offshore wind for California.”

Lueker feels more research is needed.

“So certainly, more investigation and it has really been pushed forward very quickly,” she said.

The Coastal Commission report states the survey will help develop electric cable routes to serve the wind energy project.

Lueker also worries about the turbines being an eyesore.

“Probably as much concerning to us is you’ll be able to see the red lights at night,” Lueker said.

Lariviere supports the clean energy component.

“To have something that’s clean there and it’s not just renewable it's always there; hopefully, we can incorporate that into the future,” Lariviere said.

The permit for the seafloor survey is set to expire in July of 2026.