Whale Mortalities & Offshore Wind in the News: Analyzing Community Perceptions in New England

Research Title: 

Whale Mortalities and Offshore Wind in the News: Analyzing the "Facts" or Community Perceptions of Energy Justice within Offshore Wind Development in Southern New England 

Coastal communities play a vital role in the success of offshore wind development. Research suggests more should be done to account for each community’s social, cultural, and economic expectations, as well as the collective visions, desires, and needs, including perceptions of fairness of the development process and the distribution of burdens and benefits.  

Understanding these perceptions can help policymakers, regulators, and developers better address concerns, increase the effectiveness of community engagement, facilitate dialogue and interaction, and be inclusive of diverse perspectives. This webinar presentation will review the results of 35 community interviews in East Hampton, NY, New London, CT, Narragansett, RI, New Bedford, MA, and Martha's Vineyard, MA, carried out in 2022. The interviews reveal themes of need for recognition, inclusivity, transparency, trust, and fairness.  

These coastal locations were selected as they represent communities and industries affected by upcoming offshore wind development across socioeconomically and racially diverse populations. This work was undertaken in partnership with the University of Rhode Island and the University of Waterloo. This presentation will help attendees better appreciate community attitudes towards offshore wind planning and what can be done to facilitate a robust and just energy transition. 

Oceantic Network’s new monthly Research + Innovation Webinar Series features the latest research in offshore wind and ocean renewables. Network members will share updates on groundbreaking technologies, scientific advancements, and technical insights from around the globe that can be directly applied to project development and industry growth. Our goal is to unpack the intricacies of emergent issues, diving into the details that matter most to those at the forefront of the industry.