Governors Briefs: California To End COVID State of Emergency and Offshore Wind Lease Sale In The Pacific Announced

Photo by: Lars Plougmann

Gov. Newsom to End the COVID-19 State of Emergency

SACRAMENTO — Gov.Gavin Newsom Oct. 17 announced that the COVID-19 State of Emergency will end on Feb. 28, 2023, charting the path to phasing out one of the most effective and necessary tools that California has used to combat COVID-19. This timeline gives the health care system needed flexibility to handle any potential surge that may occur after the holidays in January and February, in addition to providing state and local partners the time needed to prepare for this phaseout and set themselves up for success afterwards.

With hospitalizations and deaths reduced due to the state’s vaccination and public health efforts, California has the tools needed to continue fighting COVID-19 when the State of Emergency terminates at the end of February, including vaccines and boosters, testing, treatments and other mitigation measures like masking and indoor ventilation. As the State of Emergency is phased out, the SMARTER Plan continues to guide California’s strategy to best protect people from COVID-19.

To maintain California’s COVID-19 laboratory testing and therapeutics treatment capacity, the Newsom Administration will be seeking two statutory changes immediately upon the Legislature’s return: 1) The continued ability of nurses to dispense COVID-19 therapeutics; and 2) The continued ability of laboratory workers to solely process COVID-19 tests.

Details: SMARTER Plan Progress Update

Gov. Newsom Applauds Biden-Harris Administration on Offshore Wind Lease Sale in the Pacific

SACRAMENTO – California took a step today toward achieving its goal of 90% clean energy by 2035 and moving the state away from fossil fuels. The Biden-Harris Administration announced the first-ever offshore wind lease sale for America’s West Coast, paving the way for offshore wind that could power millions of California homes. 

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management or BOEM will hold its offshore wind energy lease sale for areas on the Outer Continental Shelf off the central and northern coasts of California on Dec. 6, 2022. The lease sale is also the first-ever U.S. sale that could support commercial-scale floating offshore wind development.

The five California lease areas offered by BOEM have the potential to produce over 4.5 gigawatts or GW of clean energy, powering more than 1.5 million homes and creating thousands of new jobs. The lease sale announcement follows California’s agreement with the federal government in May 2021 that opened up the West Coast for offshore wind development for the first time in history.

California has set planning goals for California offshore wind development of 2-5 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045. Last month, Gov. Newsom signed the California Climate Commitment, a $54 billion investment in climate action, including establishing a state goal of 90% clean electricity by 2035.