Don’t get me wrong, floating wind projects offshore California should absolutely be constructed by local union labor, with care taken to avoid the negative impacts large energy projects have historically imposed on fenceline neighborhoods.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There first needs to be certainty that these projects are actually going to be built. And yet, speaker after speaker throughout the day suggested that California could simply wait Trump out.

It’s true that construction was not likely to begin on California’s first floating offshore wind farms until after Trump leaves office in January 2029 – if he does leave office. But even that timeline is predicated on milestones being met in the interim: project developers finishing the required environmental reviews, filing construction and operations plans, and securing all necessary state and federal permits.