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The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District will host a special meeting tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Sequoia Conference Center in Eureka to discuss the latest developments surrounding offshore wind projects on the North Coast.

Tonight’s meeting will focus on the Harbor District’s Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal project, which aims to convert the 86-acre Marine Terminal II property — formerly home to the Samoa pulp mill — into a state-of-the-art industrial site for manufacturing, assembling and exporting the massive components needed for offshore wind development all along the West Coast. The presentation will include a simulation of what the wind turbine assembly process will look like from various perspectives around Humboldt Bay.

Earlier this year, the Harbor District was awarded a $426 million Department of Transportation grant to help fund the ambitious project. The district has until September 2026 to track down more than $400 million in matching private sector funds. Rob Holmlund, the Harbor District’s director of development, previously told the Outpost that he is confident the district can secure the necessary funding. 

“Our project is critical to the state and federal governments reaching renewable energy goals, so we’re confident that we’re going to find a way to get the match one way or the other,” Holmlund said.

It’s still unclear who will actually build and operate the heavy-lift marine terminal. In October 2022, the Harbor District entered into an “Exclusive Right to Negotiate” agreement with Crowley Wind Services, a private marine logistics company based in Florida, but that agreement expired a few months ago. The district is expected to issue a new request for qualifications (RFQ) to recruit another company capable of building and operating the marine terminal.

District officials will provide an update on the project at tonight’s meeting and take questions from the public. Check out the flyer below for more information.

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