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House extends offshore wind roadmap timeline to 2027 for further stakeholder work
Summary
Lawmakers voted to extend the deadline for Oregon’s offshore wind roadmap task force to January 2027, keeping stakeholder engagement with tribes, ports, fishing, labor and conservation groups active and giving state actors more time to prepare for any future federal lease activity.
The Oregon House on June 6 approved House Bill 39 63 to extend the offshore wind roadmap task force’s timeline to January 2027, a move supporters said preserves a forum for stakeholders while opponents questioned the prospect of commercial projects off Oregon’s coast.
Representative Gomberg, sponsor of the measure, told colleagues the bill "is not a bill that brings offshore wind to Oregon" but instead will buy time for "robust stakeholder conversations" and better information if the federal government returns with a new lease auction. The roadmap task force established in 2024 includes tribes, the fishing industry, labor, ports and conservation groups, according to the bill carrier, and the extension requires no new funds.
Opponents from coastal districts voiced strong resistance. Representative Boyce noted a recent county initiative in Curry County in which voters opposed offshore wind and said constituents across three counties largely object to the proposals. Representative Wright and others echoed coastal concerns about feasibility, storms and ecological differences between East and West coasts.
Supporters argued the extension preserves the state’s ability to participate in federal processes and to represent local and tribal voices. Representative Mannix offered an analogy to a change in national rules and said the state needs the information to respond. Representative Graber, who worked on the bill, said the roadmap was designed as a forum to ensure local voices are heard and urged approval. Representative Gomberg said the extension "will continue the conversation" and emphasized that it would not itself authorize construction or leases.
The House carried the measure on final reading and declared it passed. Lawmakers said the extra time was intended to ensure better community engagement and to prepare the state for future federal action if and when it occurs.
