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.