Advancing multi-use in offshore wind energy planning: Perceived opportunities and barriers in southern New England, U.S.

Abstract

Offshore wind energy development has been accelerating at a rapid pace around the world to address renewable energy goals. As a new use of ocean space, offshore wind developments can create spatial and temporal conflicts with existing ocean uses. The concept of multi-use, which spans from promoting co-existence of uses to identifying synergies between uses, has become an important framework for marine spatial planning and offshore renewable energy development in Europe, where offshore wind farms have been integrated with aquaculture and tourism, among other uses. In the United States, however, where offshore wind energy is at a more nascent stage, multi-use concepts have not been applied to the planning, permitting, and development processes, and multi-use has been considered on a more ad hoc basis. Offshore wind development in the U.S. has consequently been rife with conflict, particularly with the commercial fishing industry, and a lack of consistent policy on multi-use has led to missed opportunities to consider ways to build on synergies. To better understand the state of multi-use in the U.S., we interviewed key informants in the Southern New England region from federal and state agencies, and development, research, conservation, and fisheries sectors. Based on the interviews, we identified perceived opportunities and barriers to multi-use among interviewees, and perceptions of the state of multi-use. Responses were used to share lessons learned in the region, and to develop a set of recommendations related to the implementation of multi-use policies in the U.S.