Commercial space and offshore wind topped a wide-ranging meeting with Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and the REACH Founders Circle and staff Friday. At REACH’s invitation, Kounalakis met with the group following a tour of Cal Poly to discuss economic opportunities for the region.
Zoom in: Kounalakis was eager to explore specific steps the state can take to help the region maximize our unique assets and opportunities.
- Around commercial space, she expressed interest in opportunities to develop a statewide approach akin to Space Florida, as surfaced in the Commercial Space Master Plan for Vandenberg Space Force Base, as well as ways to streamline regulatory processes related to launches to meet increased demand and remain competitive.
- As the state prepares to welcome offshore wind energy, she was eager to learn more about our region’s interests and efforts, such as the Central Coast waterfront infrastructure study (see below!) to support this emerging industry. As chair next year of the State Lands Commission, Kounalakis is a key player in advancing the state’s renewable energy initiatives.
There was also high-level conversation on the state’s climate and clean energy priorities, ranging from drought and supply chain challenges to the Central Coast’s role in the pathway to a clean-energy future.
Zoom out: Elevating the Central Coast in state- and federal-level discussions is a core REACH priority and critical to proactively shaping our economic future and unlocking opportunity and investment. As the state tackles issues from energy policy to developing globally competitive industries, this meeting raised the region’s profile with a key state official and surfaced new opportunities to collaborate on REACH 2030 goals.
“There are things happening here in your region that are material to the future of the state,” Lt. Gov. Kounalakis said. “Collectively articulating your priorities could not come at a better time.”
