Offshore Wind, Fisheries, and a New Mitigation Strategy

The development of offshore wind energy means vast reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and boosted energy independence, but turbine construction and operation pose challenges for habitats, at-risk mammals, and fisheries. CBI has been part of the long process to balance these crucial—and at times competing—needs. Just this past year, CBI’s Patrick Field worked with the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind to convene discussions on compensation for the fishing industry's economic losses due to offshore wind development off the Atlantic Coast.

Read about the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind’s work over at Politico Pro, which covers the scale of this effort:

Nine East Coast states unveiled plans Monday to create a massive pot of money meant to temper one of the major obstacles facing offshore wind farms — opposition from the fishing industry.

The fund would compensate fishing interests for losses expected from the construction and operation of offshore wind farms. Because of the complexity involved, the fund could eventually resemble victims compensation funds created after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the 9/11 terror attacks. Because of how many wind farms may eventually exist, the fund could receive claims asking for tens of millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars in losses by the commercial and recreational fishing industries.