The US government and the state of California have announced an agreement to advance two lead-off areas for commercial offshore wind development facing the state’s central and northern coasts with up to 4.6GW of combined nameplate capacity.

The long-awaited move opens the way for lease auctions perhaps as early as next year. “These identified areas will enable the build out of a significant new domestic clean energy resource for years to come,” the White House said in a statement.