Communities

Tribal Community Partnership

The CADEMO project is located within the ancestral waters of the Santa Ynez Chumash Tribe. The Tribe has lived along these lands and coastal waters for more than 20,000 years, maintaining enduring cultural traditions and stewardship practices. Today, the Santa Ynez Chumash Tribe is a sovereign nation actively engaging in shaping its future and protecting its heritage.

As a project developer, we recognize that our relationship with the Tribe is distinct from our engagement with other stakeholders. The Chumash people maintain a deep connection to their land and sea that continues to guide future generations. We approach our work with respect, transparency, and a commitment to responsible collaboration.

In 2023, CADEMO and the Santa Ynez Chumash Tribe signed a Tribal Benefit Agreement that includes joint cultural studies, coordinated research initiatives, and the development of the first Tribal Oceanographic Institute in the nation. This institute will employ Tribal researchers and experts, participate in future scientific studies, and serve as a co-management partner for environmental information. The Tribe will name the project at a later stage.

As a pilot initiative, CADEMO seeks to build meaningful partnerships and contribute to regional value. We remain committed to working with the Santa Ynez Chumash Tribe to explore opportunities in research, education, workforce development, and innovation. The Tribe is a key partner, and together we will continue developing solutions and advancing shared goals for the future.

Workforce Development, Education and Outreach

CADEMO began developing its workforce strategy in mid-2020, preparing for the needs of California’s emerging offshore wind sector. The effort formally launched in April 2021 following a successful High Road Training Partnership award, bringing together tribal partners, labor, industry, universities, and workforce development board offices and agencies to support the Central Coast and the State.

This collaboration produced key foundations — including Project Labor Agreements, a Tribal Benefit Agreement, and apprenticeship aligned training frameworks — all captured in the July 2023 HRTP report. The report emphasizes that true success will be demonstrated once CADEMO is built and operating, proving that a high road workforce model can thrive in a competitive energy market while ensuring local, skilled, and accessible clean energy union jobs. Achieving this depends on continued early and proactive collaboration across labor, education partners, tribes, and public agencies.

In 2025, CADEMO expanded this work by starting the development of a structured apprenticeship and pre apprenticeship initiative with the State Building Trades, the Santa Ynez Chumash Tribe, and the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. Looking to 2026, CADEMO has begun engaging additional regional education partners and anticipates participating in school programs, with initial activities expected to begin after summer 2026. The pace and scope of these efforts will evolve based on progress made by mid-2026.