In the fall of 2022, the Biden-Harris administration set a bold goal of deploying 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held an offshore wind energy lease sale on Dec. 6-7, 2022, for areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off central and northern California. The auction was held online in a series of rounds and allowed qualified offshore wind developers to bid on five lease areas – the first-ever offered along the Pacific coastline. Join us for a brief presentation followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session with specialists from BOEM to learn more about the exciting prospects for wind offshore California.
Joan worked for the Department of the Interior for over 40 years until retiring in 2021. She was hired as an oceanographer in Washington DC conducting offshore geohazard investigations. The opportunity came to move to Hyannis as a geologist overseeing exploration on Georges Bank, and four years later, drilling and production in the offshore Santa Maria Basin. Her path led to supervisory responsibilities in Camarillo, CA, and culminated in serving as Regional Director in the Pacific. Energy was her focus, predominantly oil and gas; renewable offshore wind planning efforts commenced in 2005. Joan has been involved in AAPG for her entire career serving in various offices of the Pacific Section, and with Coast Geological Society in a number of roles since 1990. Joan did graduate work in coast processes at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has a BA in Geology from Smith College.
Sara Guiltinan is a Renewable Energy Specialist in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Pacific Regional Office. The BOEM Pacific Regional Office manages the responsible development of offshore energy and mineral resources in Federal waters off the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. Sara joined BOEM as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2011 and has served in several roles supporting BOEM's programs, including Pacific Region Tribal Liaison Officer, Leasing Specialist, and socio-economic subject matter expert. In her current role, Sara serves as the Project Coordinator for the commercial wind energy leases offshore California and the BOEM California Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force. She also represents the BOEM Pacific Region in national ocean policy activities, ocean governance coordination, and the West Coast Ocean Alliance. Sara holds degrees in Environmental Science from Claremont McKenna College and the University of California at Santa Barbara. In her free time, Sara enjoys playing soccer, spending time with family and friends, and occasionally sailing to Santa Cruz Island.
Renee Richards is a Geophysicist with the Office of Renewable Energy Program in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Renee serves as a Subject Matter Expert in the Engineering and Technical Review Branch reviewing projects in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf. Prior to joining BOEM, Renee was a geophysicist in the oil and gas industry with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Chevron, and Century Exploration Resources. Renee has a B.S. in Geophysical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a M.S. in Geophysics from Texas A&M University. Renee has been a member of the Coast Geological Society and has served on the Executive Committee in various roles since 2016 including serving as the 2020 Convention Chair. A passion of Renee’s is to work with students and in her spare time she teaches Geology at Moorpark College. She also enjoys playing ice hockey, hiking, and travelling the world.
Jennifer Miller is the Chief of the Renewable Energy Section in the BOEM Pacific Regional Office and has been with BOEM since 2014. Prior to her roles as Chief, Jennifer was the senior geophysicist in BOEM's Office of Renewable Energy Programs and thus has first-hand experience with offshore wind projects on both U.S. coasts. Jennifer has also been the subject matter expert for the renewable energy program at BOEM for radar, submarine cable routings, and unexploded ordinance. Prior to joining BOEM, Jennifer was a senior geologist in the hydrographic survey industry working primarily in sighting international telecommunications cables. She earned her B.S. in Earth Science from UCSD and a M.S. in Earth Science though a joint UCSD/Scripps Institution of Oceanography program.
