Title: Human Dimensions of Offshore Wind Development in Oregon: An Analysis of Public Comments in Oregon's Offshore Wind Development Process
Committee members: Shawn Hazboun, Hilary Boudet, and David Bernell
Abstract: Oregon’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requires that 50% of investor-owned utilities’ retail electricity sales to come from renewable energy sources by 2040. In 2021, Oregon passed and set a clean energy standard (CES) that targets a 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from baseline by 2040. Securing support and development of renewable energy infrastructure is critical to advance the state’s RPS and CES goals. The previous federal mandate to install 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore energy prompted the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to investigate the viability of offshore wind for the western United States. Identifying two sites in Oregon, located off the coast of Coos Bay and Brookings, BOEM moved through its environmental assessment and proposed sale notice phases before arriving at its final sale notice. Suspending its lease auction due to insufficient commercial interest, the future of offshore wind in Oregon is uncertain. Amidst all of this, in 2024, Oregon passed House Bill 4080, that directs the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to develop an Offshore Wind Roadmap, defining standards and processes relating to offshore wind energy development and approval.
Many studies have examined human perceptions of renewable energy projects throughout the world, however, few studies have done so for floating offshore wind energy, and even less so in the context of North America. This research evaluates the Oregon public’s perception of offshore wind energy, and more broadly, that of residents in the western United States. It does so through qualitative data analysis of 1573 comments submitted in BOEM’s offshore wind energy public engagement phases, along with that of the state’s Department of Land Conservation and Development federal consistency review. With hand-coded data, we assess 1) thematic frames in supportive, opposing, and uncertain stances; 2) shifts in these frames as they pertain to policy stages; and 3) procedural fairness concerns by speaker type. Findings show that opposition is dominated with concerns of environmental risks, while support emphasizes climate mitigation and economic development. Uncertainty frames peak during BOEM’s Environmental Assessment, driving calls for further research and exhaustive community engagement. These insights highlight the need for adaptive stakeholder engagement, transparent impact assessments, and equitable benefits-sharing to secure social license for offshore wind in Oregon.
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