Overview

In the next 10 years more than 2,000 wind turbines will likely be constructed along the Atlantic coastline. In the Northeast, although the Block Island Wind Farm in Rhode Island state waters is the only established wind farm, at least 7 commercial lease blocks  have been purchased by various developers, with more leases being identified in the Gulf of Maine. Promoting the co-existence of offshore wind and other more traditional uses could be an effective tool to meet the energy, food, and recreational demands of coastal communities, while considering the sustainable health of this rich ecosystem.  Already this offshore region is heavily used by commercial (both mobile and fixed gear) and recreational fishing, shipping, and tourism. The defense industry, and research and academic institutions are also active in executing military exercises and research and undersea technology development, respectfully.

The multi-use focus of this effort enables resource users, regulators, practitioners and others to identify and implement technical, policy, and process strategies to minimize conflict and encourage synergies amongst these different activities.

This case study was paired with the Swedish case led by the Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm (KTH) to foster international collaboration and knowledge. The introduction of offshore wind farms is a common theme in both cases, and lessons learned on how to plan for offshore wind installations in combination with other uses was key for an exchange in best practices.

Representatives from government, local and regional businesses, and research institutions (see below) formally agreed to participate in developing these scenarios, expecting results to respond to current and long-term economic, environmental, and use conflicts in the region.  In addition, many of these organizations networked with similar programs nationally, facilitating the communication of results and their broader application.  Results could also potentially be incorporated into existing planning efforts.  The Northeast Ocean Plan, for example, summarizes the ocean planning process and guides agency decisions and practices that advance progress toward regional goals for managing our public ocean resources.  BOEM is considering the cumulative impacts of offshore wind in the Northeast and beyond in its Vineyard Wind 1 Offshore Wind Energy Project Supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement which lays out BOEM’s thinking about cumulative effects of offshore wind wihtin the area.   In addition all four states (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island) all have coastal managment plans which frequently amended for state waters.