Offshore Wind Community Engagement: Recommendations for State Agencies

Offshore wind offers an enormous opportunity to build renewable, reliable, and domestic electricity, but states and developers must address its effects on local communities, especially communities already burdened by climate change and fossil fuel emissions.

A report authored by Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) and Equnival Partners, “Strengthening Offshore Wind Community Engagement: Recommendations for State Agencies,” includes concrete steps that state agencies can take to meaningfully engage with communities as states plan for offshore wind projects.

In this CESA webinar, CESA Project Director Sam Schacht and Equnival Partners Principal Kevin Bryan will present the report’s recommendations and discuss them alongside members of CESA’s Offshore Wind and Equity Working Group, including Elischia Fludd, Environmental Justice Senior Lead at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources; Osvaldo Garcia, Regenerative Economies Coordinator at UPROSE; Jaime Kelley, board member at the Salem Alliance for the Environment; and Meghan Suslovic at the Maine Department of Energy Resources.

Additional resources from the webinar panelists that may be of interest include:

• Maine Offshore Wind Research Consortium webpage
• Salem Alliance for the Environment Community Benefits Agreement
• UPROSE website
• Massachusetts DOER Offshore Wind webpage