The U.S. Department of Defense and Cademo have reached an agreement to enable operation of the state’s first offshore wind power project in waters near Vandenberg Space Force Base in northern Santa Barbara County.
The Mitigation Agreement creates a series of de-confliction protocols for Cademo’s spinning blades, whose tips will reach 870 feet high, to operate in busy airspace used by Vandenberg’s space launches. Under the Mitigation Agreement, the Defense Department and Air Force commit to file non-objection letters with the Federal Aviation Administration and other federal and state agencies to green-light Cademo’s permitting process. Still underway are Cademo’s environmental reviews under California and federal law, which are expected to culminate with a final permit decision by the California State Lands Commission and other state and federal agencies. Cademo will include four 15 MW floating turbines in state waters off Vandenberg’s coastline. It is expected to be operational in late 2027. Vandenberg Space Force Base hosts launch pads for NASA and SpaceX spacecraft, intercontinental missiles for the Air Force, as well as region-wide military radar.
