Officials from the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians are suing the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management over its decision to greenlight two areas off the Oregon Coast for potential floating wind energy projects.
The southern Oregon tribe – which passed a resolution against floating offshore wind energy in those areas last November – filed its suit Friday in U.S. District Court in Eugene against the ocean energy bureau, accusing it of violating two federal laws meant to protect the environment and culturally significant areas.
“The decision to file this legal action was not taken lightly,” Brad Kneaper, chair of the tribal council, said in a news release. “We would much rather work collaboratively with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to determine where the best places are to develop wind energy, minimizing the impacts to the coast and our people.”
The suit comes two weeks after federal officials announced they would hold an auction for companies interested in surveying and proposing floating offshore wind energy farms in two lease areas. One area, a 61,000-acre site, is located 30 miles off the coast of Coos Bay, while the other, spanning nearly 134,000 acres, is located 20 miles off the coast of Brookings. If fully developed, wind farms on the two sites could generate more than 3.1 gigawatts of renewable energy, enough to power 1 million homes, federal officials said.
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Tribal officials say the two proposed offshore areas are in the tribes’ ancestral territory and that the areas are home to fish and other marine species and have views of significant cultural, historic and economic significance to the tribe.
Kneaper said in the release that the tribe is willing to withdraw the lawsuit if the October lease sale is delayed and the bureau commits to assessing the cumulative and future impacts of wind energy development not just along the Oregon Coast, but also across all development areas being auctioned off along the West Coast.
“BOEM does not discuss pending litigation through the media,” John Romero, a spokesperson for the ocean energy bureau, said in an email.
The lawsuit
In the suit, the tribe, represented by attorney Rick Eichstaedt of the Spokane-based law firm Rey-Bear McLaughlin, accused the ocean energy bureau of violating the federal National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, as well as the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies to protect culturally significant sites.
The tribe claims the agency failed in an environmental assessment to consider not just the current impacts of surveying and potentially developing the areas for wind energy, but also future impacts as well as the cumulative effect of wind power generation along the entire West Coast, not just off the coast of Oregon.
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The bureau has auctioned five areas off the California coast for floating wind energy projects. In July, it released an environmental assessment of the two Oregon lease areas, and said there would be no significant impact to people or the environment as companies survey, study and plan proposals.
Any projects proposed by developers would need to go through another environmental impact analysis, and the public and interested parties would also be able to comment before it could be approved and built.
Kneaper said the July assessment ignored the cumulative and future impacts of wind development, and failed to identify alternative areas that did not have the same cultural and historic importance for the tribe and marine species.
“The tribe has consistently urged that BOEM delay moving forward with wind energy development until a better understanding is made of the impacts to fish, wildlife, the marine environment and cultural resources important to the tribe,” he said. “No one, including BOEM, has an understanding of how wind development will impact the fragile marine environment.”
Kneaper accused the bureau of being driven by politics and ignoring concerns among coastal residents. In November, Coos County residents will vote on a ballot initiative to oppose offshore wind development, and a coalition of independent fishing boat operators, seafood companies and industry groups have also asked Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek to intervene to stop floating offshore wind development from moving forward.
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Wider picture
Under Oregon’s climate change policies, the state needs to curb its greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. The Climate Protection Program, which is currently being redone by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, has set a target of reducing emissions from fossil fuels in Oregon by 50% by 2035 and by 90% by 2050.
Wind energy will be needed to help achieve those goals, officials say, and offshore wind is slated to be part of the solution. The Oregon Department of Energy’s latest energy report said the state needs about 20,000 megawatts of energy to come from offshore wind by 2050 to meet that target.
The Biden administration also has wind energy plans. It is planning for up to a dozen offshore wind energy auctions through 2028, with the hope of developing a total of 30 gigawatts of wind energy – enough to power more than 10 million homes – on the East and West coasts to be deployed by 2030. The Oregon sites would account for about 10% of that, according to the bureau.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service are closely monitoring the windstorm but say it’s still too early to predict how strong those winds will be on Wednesday.
A car is crushed by a fallen tree on Northeast 24th Avenue on Wednesday, Dec. 17., 2025 in Portland.
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Saskia Hatvany / OPB
A windstorm packing gusts of up to 65 mph could hit western Oregon and Southwest Washington on Christmas Eve, triggering power outages and downing trees, forecasters and electric utilities warned Monday.
Forecasters with the National Weather Service are closely monitoring the windstorm as it moves up the coast, but say it’s still too early to predict exactly how strong those winds will be on Wednesday.
Gusts of at least 45 miles per hour could pass through much of western Oregon and Southwest Washington between 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
While there is still a lot of uncertainty around the windstorm, now is the time for residents to get ready, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland.
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“People should take precautions such as securing any outdoor decorations, garbage bins, and be prepared for the potential for some localized power outages or tree damage,” she said.
Further south, two winter storms will bring snow and rain to Southern Oregon and northern California this week, just in time for holiday travel.
California’s Siskiyou County will get the brunt of the storms, particularly at higher elevations, starting Tuesday and lasting through Friday.
Heavy snow is expected on mountain passes over 4,500 feet, and some snow could fall on Interstate 5 in the area around California’s Mount Shasta on Friday as the snow level drops, according to the forecast.
Portland General Electric urged residents to prepare an outage plan and get emergency kits ready in case the power goes out. The utility company is also warning people of potential weather hazards like downed power lines.
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“You should always assume they are alive,” John Farmer, a spokesperson with PGE, said. “You should never go near them. Don’t touch them. Don’t use a stick or a branch to move. Just stay away.”
Following the heavy rains that plummeted the region last week, the NWS also warns that soils across the state are still really saturated. That, combined with gusty winds, could knock over weakened trees and branches.
Mindy McCartt, a spokesperson with the Oregon Department of Transportation, says their crews are still working to clear up debris left behind by last week’s storms.
“Crews will continue cleanup from the previous storms while also preparing and staffing up for the next potential event,” she said. “If the storm hits as forecast, maintenance crews will be ready to respond as soon as conditions allow.”
McCartt says people who are planning to hit the road this holiday week should take extra precautions. She also recommends checking road conditions before heading out for possible closures or delays.
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No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1) vs. Oregon (12-1), Jan. 1 at 12 p.m. EST.
BetMGM College Football Odds Opening Line: Oregon by 1.5. Against the spread: Oregon 6-6, Texas Tech 12-1.
How to watch: ESPN
Key stats
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Oregon Offense
Overall: 468.9 yards per game (11th in FBS)
Passing: 251.8 yards per game (45th)
Rushing: 217.1 yards per game (13th)
Scoring: 39.2 points per game (9th)
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Oregon Defense
Overall: 271.4 yards per game (8th in FBS)
Passing: 158.1 yards per game (6th)
Rushing: 113.3 yards per game (24th)
Scoring: 16.3 points per game (10th)
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Texas Tech Offense
Overall: 480.3 yards per game (5th in FBS)
Passing: 289.4 yards per game (11th)
Rushing: 190.9 yards per game (26th)
Scoring: 42.5 points per game (2nd)
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Texas Tech Defense
Overall: 254.5 yards per game (3rd in FBS)
Passing: 186 yards per game (24th)
Rushing: 68.5 yards per game (1st)
Scoring: 10.9 points per game (3rd)
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Both teams perform well on third down. Oregon ranks 14th in the FBS, converting 48.4% of the time. Texas Tech ranks 6th, converting 51%.
Texas Tech leads the FBS with a +17 turnover margin.
Oregon is 122nd in FBS in red zone defense, allowing opponents to score on 90% of trips. Texas Tech’s red zone offense ranks 47th, scoring on 87.7% of red zone opportunities.
Rushing: Cameron Dickey, 1,097 yards on 198 carries, 14 TDs
Receiving: Caleb Douglas, 845 yards on 55 catches, 7 TDs
Last game
Oregon beat James Madison 51-34 on Saturday, Dec. 20. Moore led Oregon with 313 yards on 19-of-27 passing (70.4%) for four touchdowns and two interceptions. He also carried the ball one time for 5 yards and one rushing touchdown. Jordon Davison had 90 rushing yards on 10 carries. Benson put up 119 yards on five catches with two touchdowns.
Texas Tech won 34-7 over BYU on Saturday, Dec. 6. Morton threw for 215 yards on 20-of-33 attempts (60.6%) with two touchdowns and no interceptions. J’Koby Williams carried the ball 15 times for 80 yards, adding one reception for -2 yards. Reginald Virgil recorded 86 yards on eight catches.
Over the first few weeks of the college basketball season, not many Gonzaga fans were looking at a Dec. 21 matchup between the Bulldogs and Oregon as being one of the Zags’ toughest games on their nonconference schedule, considering the caliber of some of the other power conference teams scattered on the docket throughout November and December.
Nonetheless, Nate Bittle and the Ducks made sure to give general followers of the sport a fun matchup to watch going into the holiday break.
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The Ducks (6-6) didn’t make things easy for the Zags (12-1), who managed to come away from the Moda Center on Sunday with their smallest margin of victory in nonleague play, a 91-82 win, thanks in large part to Braeden Smith’s masterful performance in the second half.
With Graham Ike bottled up for most of the night and Braden Huff dealing with foul trouble, Gonzaga’s backup point guard stepped up when it mattered most to steer the Zags toward their eighth win over a power conference team this season.
Smith, who played extra minutes due to an ill Mario Saint-Supéry, got under the Ducks’ skin just when it looked as if Gonzaga’s lead was in jeopardy of switching hands. The former Patriot League Player of the Year at Colgate finished with 21 points, 16 of which came after halftime, and dished out seven assists without committing a turnover in 27 minutes of action off the bench. He accounted for 13 consecutive points during a pivotal stretch in the second half that saw Gonzaga’s lead swell to 15 after Smith dished to Steele Venters for a crucial 3-pointer.
With the win, Gonzaga finished nonconference play with six wins combined over the SEC and Big Ten — five of which were considered Quad 1 or 2 games — and eight wins over top 100-rated KenPom teams (Oregon was No. 74, third-lowest ahead of No. 78 Arizona State and No. 100 Maryland). The Zags won all those games by double-digit margins, making Sunday’s victory over the Ducks their first of the season by fewer than 10 points.
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Here’s what Mark Few had to say about Smith’s performance, and more, after the game.
On the pro-Gonzaga crowd in attendance
“We have a great following, and I really, really, really appreciate everybody that showed up today. I mean, that was the plan when Dana [Altman] and I set this thing up. I gotta be honest with you, I thought, we’d have more Zag nation than we had. We usually draw like crazy wherever we go, and especially in the Northwest.”
“So, little disappointed in that, but I was so happy for everybody that did show, and then the teams put on a great show. Quite frankly, those were two high level teams going at it.”
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On Braeden Smith and Mario Saint-Supéry
Gonzaga’s Braeden Smith, center, celebrate the Bulldogs’ victory over Oregon in the Northwest Elite Showdown at the Moda Center in Portland Dec. 21, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard/USA TODAY NETWORK
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“Braeden was exceptional tonight. Mario’s had the flu — I don’t know what the heck’s going on, but he hasn’t been able to practice this whole week. And he even woke up feeling not as good as we thought he was going to be today. So we tried him a little bit, and God bless him, he couldn’t really function too well out there. So, we leaned on B Smith hard, and he responded big time. He saved us and was huge key to the game.”
On Gonzaga’s success in nonconference play
“I’ve been doing 27 years of this stuff, and we’ve always tried to schedule difficult. Especially this last — I don’t know, 10 years or 12 years; we’ve been trying to schedule to be a number one seed in a [nonconference play]. And I think — I’m sure somebody will dispute this with ‘analytics’ — but I think it’s the best run we’ve had in the nonconference.”
“I mean, literally, with who we’ve played, where we’ve played, how the games have stacked up; it just felt like that, and that’s not taking anything away — I mean, we’ve had teams go undefeated, as you know, to the very, very end of the season. But sometimes we weren’t able to play the type of schedule we played. The COVID year we certainly weren’t, and I can’t, off the top of my head, remember how we did in ’17 or ’19, but certainly not as good as we’ve done in the nonconference. Super proud of these guys.”
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On Oregon center Nate Bittle
Gonzaga’s Emmanuel Innocenti, left, forces a jump-ball turnover against Oregon’s Nate Bittle during the second half of the Northwest Elite Showdown at the Moda Center in Portland Dec. 21, 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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“We recruited Nate. He comes from a great family and he had a great high school career. It’s great to see him healthy. And then I think when you see him healthy, you can see how skilled he is. And I think when you play him, you forget how big he is.
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“And listen, there are a lot of guys in college basketball that are [playing more than four seasons]. He’s not the only one, and they’ve taken advantage of it, and good for them. And until we can get some organization and some rules around this thing, I think we’ll continue to see that.”
On whether the Zags have room for growth
“There’s always [another level to reach]. We’re not even halfway through our season. The teams that continue to get better — I’ve said this every year, you got to continue to get better. Those are the ones that will win and advance in the NCAA Tournament. Teams that get stuck with how they’re playing in late December, it’s not going to happen. So, we have to stay on that growth plane.”
