May 13, 2025 2:00 PM
Title: Community Benefit Mechanisms and the Public Policy Process in Ocean Renewable Energy: Fairness, Transparence, and Local Acceptance in U.S. Coastal States
Committee members: Hilary Boudet, Brent Steel, David Bernell, Shawn Hazboun, Ted Brekken
Abstract: The Biden Administration set aggressive goals for renewable energy development to address climate change, including offshore wind development. As with other new technologies, ocean renewable energy sources, like offshore wind and wave energy, enjoy broad public support in the abstract but often face local resistance. Public concerns primarily stem from worries over potential adverse impacts that these projects may have on the marine environment, coastal fisheries, and existing cultural identities and practices. One strategy that aims to address these public concerns is to foster Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) – legal agreements between developers and local communities or community organizations that seek to codify benefits that will flow from the developer to these groups. Drawing on literatures related to energy justice and public participation, I examine CBAs that were negotiated around offshore wind development during the Biden Administration using a comparative-case study approach (n=13 cases), as well as public perceptions of decision-making processes and CBA provisions for ocean renewable energy development using surveys (n=3000 West Coast respondents). My findings emphasize the critical role of non-profit organizations in enhancing transparency, ensuring equitable representation, and providing technical and legal support to under-resourced communities in ocean renewable energy development.