Ocean Renewable Energy - 2021
The Northeast Sea Grant Consortium, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office and Water Power Technologies Office joined together to fund a research competition in 2021. The competition sought proposals to improve understanding of the effects of ocean renewable energy development on coastal communities, including the fishing industry. This includes wind and hydrokinetic wave, current, and tidal energy in the U.S. Northeast, from New York Bight to the Gulf of Maine.
The funded research projects aim to catalyze social science and technology research in the Northeast that will further our understanding of the effects of ocean renewable energy on community resilience and economies. Through this research competition, the Northeast Sea Grant Consortium and its funding partners are providing a regional approach to supporting objective research on ocean renewable energy across stakeholders, including developers, communities, and fishers, etc.
The selected projects were collectively awarded over $1.1 million in federal funds, with each project matching 50% in non-federal funds. The two-year projects have roots across the Northeast:
Building Capacity for Participatory Approaches to Community Resilience and Ocean Renewable Energy Siting (Project Lead: Heather Leslie, University of Maine, Orono, ME) will characterize values and beliefs in three communities to understand where ocean renewable energy is a good fit for people and place, and develop a community toolkit with maps, surveys, and participatory practices that can be applied across the Northeast.
Can Proprietary Commercial Lobstering Data be Used to Inform Offshore Wind Development?(Project Lead: Kate Beard-Tisdale, University of Maine, Orono, ME) will create a standardized procedure for constructing representations of the Maine lobster fishery using data and knowledge from individual fishermen, and develop data product models and sample products that will inform fisheries management and marine spatial planning.
Community Engagement and Stakeholder Perceptions of Floating Offshore Wind (Project Lead: Alison Bates, Colby College, Waterville, ME) will develop a stakeholder database, survey tools, and holistic outreach strategy to evaluate community perceptions of offshore wind, identify the capacity and necessary conditions for stakeholders to coexist with offshore wind, and present recommendations for equitable solutions.
Evaluating Messaging, Communication Networks, and Public Engagement on Offshore Wind Development in Southern New England (Project Lead: Emily Diamond, University of Rhode Island, South Kingstown, RI) will analyze public engagement strategies, messages, networks, and sources used to communicate and engage communities and stakeholders in decision-making for proposed offshore wind projects, and incorporate community perspectives to make recommendations for effective and equitable messaging and strategies.
Regional Community Attitudes Regarding Procedural and Distributive Justice Dimensions of Southern New England Offshore Wind Development (Project Lead: David Bidwell, University of Rhode Island, South Kingstown, RI) will assess community concerns and research questions regarding procedural, distributive, and recognitional justice dimensions of offshore wind projects in southern New England, and work to address barriers within and among communities to ensure equity and well-being for a just energy transition.
Achieving Community Resilience by Optimizing Symbiotic Offshore Renewable Energy and Food Systems (Project Lead: Maha Haji, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY) will develop a mapping tool for spatial planning allowing for the integration of multiple ocean uses in the same area. The goal is to enable symbiosis between renewable energy and food systems and empower stakeholders, fishers, aquaculture farmers, and developers to make informed decisions for long-term resilience.
Sea Grant Offshore Wind Energy Liaison Initiative
Based out of Rhode Island Sea Grant, the Sea Grant Offshore Wind Energy Liaison Initiative builds the offshore wind energy (OWE) understanding and capacity of the National Sea Grant Network and enhances collaboration and communication between Sea Grant and its partners. While this is a national effort, this website is currently focused on the Northeast. The geographic scope of this initiative will expand in the coming months (2022).