Abstract
Community benefit mechanisms are increasingly used in offshore wind energy to address concerns of fairness and distributive impacts associated with projects in the United States. However, little is known about how offshore wind energy developers implement these mechanisms, despite their central role in shaping outcomes. Using energy justice as a theoretical lens, this study examines what motivates developers to pursue community benefit mechanisms, proposed goals of mechanisms, and how the operationalization of mechanisms may align with advancing energy justice. Literature suggests that developers pursue these mechanisms to foster local acceptance, deliver economic benefits, and mitigate project impacts; however, research highlights that mechanisms may reflect a market-centered paradigm that limits their transformative potential. Building upon this work, this study assesses whether developer's interpretations of community benefit mechanisms support or undermine energy justice objectives and identifies implications for future policy. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 developers focused on motivations for pursuing community benefit mechanisms, perceived challenges, and community engagement. Findings indicate that developers have diverse motivations to pursue community benefit mechanisms and view them as tools to achieve multiple goals: building long-term community relationships, addressing opposition, and meeting regulatory requirements. These goals are largely shaped by a dominant neoliberal paradigm, leading developers to adopt an instrumental approach that prioritizes risk management and project efficiency over deeper community involvement. Overall, this study finds that developer-driven approaches to community benefit mechanisms risk undermining energy justice goals unless complemented by sustained relationship-building and regulatory frameworks that enhance community capacity for participation throughout the process.