Performance and dynamics of California offshore wind alongside Western US onshore wind and solar power

We use statistical methods to evaluate the coincidence, variability, alignment, and predictability of California offshore wind power production with electricity demand and onshore renewable resources in the United States Western Interconnection region. We consider previously reported benefits, and evaluate possible advantages of deploying offshore wind as compared to onshore wind or solar power generation, such as coincidence with peak power demand and complementarity with other renewable power resources. Additionally, we use the Fast Fourier Transform and linear regression to assess the predictability of power with onshore wind and solar. The Pearson correlation reveals that onshore wind and solar are the most complementary renewable power generation resources, while there is no consistent correlation or anti-correlation between the offshore wind sites and the demand, solar, or onshore wind. Using a demand-based value metric, we find that the six potential offshore wind sites are more valuable than all other renewable resources during peak hours in the summer in California. Finally, the Fourier analysis reveals that offshore wind may be a highly variable resource.