Modelling the impact of Decarbonization on Labor in California’s Central Coast

In December 2022, three global companies won the rights to develop offshore wind farms off the coast of San Luis Obispo County. The clean energy output could power 3.5 million homes, marking a significant step towards California’s carbon neutrality goals. It will also lead to the creation of a new economy around clean energy in the region, with employment opportunities for residents in the area. At the same time, however, the Central Coast stands to lose reliable, unionized fossil fuel jobs as the region shifts to a decarbonized energy supply. Estimates of where, how many, and what type of energy jobs will be gained (and lost) during this transition will inform conversations and policy decisions around offshore wind installation and the community investment funding. We aim to develop an interactive web map that users can navigate to understand the likely impacts of the clean energy transition across the three counties of the Central Coast. We aim to design our analysis for labor, indigenous, environmental, and community organizations to inform the conversation about offshore wind and other renewable energy jobs, to advocate with and on behalf of fossil fuel workers for a “just transition”, and to serve as a model for how research can support just transitions in energy communities across the United States.