A new national report finds the federal government needs to improve how it plans and communicates offshore wind development along the West Coast, especially with coastal communities.
The report reviews several key issues, including the federal government’s offshore wind leasing process.
Congress ordered the report in 2023, before the Trump administration reversed course to oppose offshore wind. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, a group of nonprofit institutions that provide independent advice on national issues, produced the report.
Committee co-chair Keith Michel said the policy shift did not change the group's work.
“The only real impact it had on the committee is that we perhaps focused a little more on what could occur at the pre-planning level," said Michel. "Science development, the spatial planning that could occur before the development actually takes place.”
Before the federal government paused offshore wind leasing, officials auctioned a small number of sites off Northern and Central California. Michel said the recommendations could help prepare for a future administration that supports renewable energy.
The report examined a range of issues tied to offshore wind energy, including impacts on the fishing industry and effects on Coast Guard operations. Michel said the committee aimed to bring together existing research and provide broader context
The committee also reviewed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's leasing process. The agency had planned to auction areas off the Southern Oregon coast in 2024 but canceled the sale after most developers withdrew.
Co-chair Michele Conrad said the agency struggled to build trust with local communities.
"Stakeholders felt like they were providing a lot of input but weren't necessarily being heard or listened to," said Conrad. "They didn't have a feedback mechanism to hear back about the effects of their comments and concerns, how they were being taken into account."
The committee found that other processes run by the Coast Guard and NOAA were more successful at getting stakeholder support. Michel said those agencies are more involved with the community on a regular basis, making it easier for them to get buy-in.
The report recommends BOEM work with those agencies in future leasing efforts, hold more community events and respond more meaningfully to public input.
Michel said he believes BOEM recognizes the need to improve and hopes the agency will act on the recommendations.
