Energy Justice Indicators: Measuring Community Effects of Offshore Wind Energy Development

This project, with support from the US Department of Energy, Wind Energy Technology Office (DOE WETO) is led by the University of Rhode Island, collaborates with frontline communities, Old Bedford Village Development, Inc., and New London NAACP, to co-produce and track social indicators of energy equity and justice as they relate to offshore wind port development along the US east coast. Boston University is also a partner. It adapts the existing use of indicators to track energy equity and justice issues to the local community scale and offshore wind energy development. The project focuses on the justice impacts of offshore wind energy development in port communities that have been selected for project activities and will engage directly with community members and organizations to identify the positive and negative impacts of offshore wind energy development, create and prioritize measurable indicators of these impacts, and track these indicators over time. Continual co-creation and community outreach are instrumental in building capacity to address the justice dimensions of offshore wind energy and generating community insight regarding how the industry is impacting their lives and livelihoods. The project uses mixed-methods, including observational data, interviews, attitudinal surveys, and community visioning workshops, to develop a deeper understanding of community concerns and priorities relating to offshore wind energy development. Results will be reported to community members through workshops, webinars, online communications, and a project website, and will additionally be shared with government, industry, academic, and lay audiences as is appropriate. Nina David and Jeremy Firestone lead UD’s contribution.