Port of Richmond Offshore Wind Terminal Conceptual Design and Preliminary Engineering
Summary
SCH Number
2025100638
Public Agency
California Energy Commission
Document Title
Port of Richmond Offshore Wind Terminal Conceptual Design and Preliminary Engineering
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/15/2025
Document Description
Under grant agreement OSW-25-003, the California Energy Commission (CEC) will provide a grant of $750,000 to the City of Richmond. The grant agreement funds the planning and design of terminal(s) at the Port of Richmond to support offshore wind (OSW) supply chain operations. The project will focus on identifying site boundaries within the Port for OSW industry use, determining required infrastructure
improvements, and advancing the site(s) to up to a 30% engineering design stage.
The conceptual design and preliminary engineering project will identify, evaluate, and design purpose-built OSW infrastructure across up to 216 acres of existing sites, including Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and the Point Potrero Marine Terminal. These sites offer extensive berth availability, access to deep-water navigation channels, and a strategic location within the San Francisco Bay, close to the five current California offshore wind lease areas.
This project will benefit the State of California, as the planning of port improvements advances policy goals regarding growth of the OSW power industry. These policy goals are described in the AB 525 Offshore Wind Strategic Plan,and include the expansion of port facilities to support OSW development. This Strategic Plan resulted from Assembly Bill 525 (Chiu, Chapter 231, Statutes of 2021), which directed the CEC to complete a strategic plan for offshore wind development in federal waters off the California coast.
Beneficiaries will also include, but are not limited to, taxpayers who will benefit from OSW clean energy, the OSW developers who may in the future use the Port of Richmond, OSW supply chain-supporting companies who may use the Port of Richmond, and the citizens of the City of Richmond.
Contact Information
Name
REID BOGGIANO
Agency Name
California Energy Commission
Job Title
Electric Generation System Program Specialist I
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Charles Gerard
Agency Name
The City of Richmond
Job Title
Port Director
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Richmond
Counties
Contra Costa
Regions
Citywide, Northern California
Cross Streets
Marina Way and Harbour Way/Harbour Way South
Zip
94804
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Cal. Code Regs, tit. 14, §§ 15306, 15262
Reasons for Exemption
The City of Richmond, Port Department, Port Director, provided the CEC with a draft Notice of Exemption for “Port of Richmond Offshore Wind Terminal Conceptual Design and Preliminary Engineering.” The NOE found that the feasibility and planning studies are exempt from CEQA under Cal. Code Regs., tit 14, Section 15262. (See below.)
Code Regs., tit. 14 Section 15306 provides that projects which consist of basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities, and which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource are categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act. This project consists of data collection, research, and resource evaluation activities. For these reasons, the proposed work will not have any significant effect on the environment and is exempt under Cal. Code Regs., tit 14, Section 15306.
In addition, this contract involves only feasibility or planning studies for possible future actions that appropriate agencies boards, or commissions have not approved, adopted, or funded. Environmental factors of this research have been considered. Therefore, the project is exempt from Cal. Code Regs., tit 14, Section 15262.
The project will not impact an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies; does not involve any cumulative impacts of successive projects of the same type in the same place that might be considered significant; does not involve unusual circumstances that might have a significant effect on the environment; will not result in damage to scenic resources within a highway officially designated as a state scenic highway; the project sites (offices) are not included on any list compiled pursuant to Government Code section 65962.5; and the project will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource. Therefore, none of the exceptions to categorical exemptions listed in CEQA Guidelines section 15300.2 apply to this project, and this project will not have a significant effect on the environment.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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