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Texas Tech University

URC 2023 Abstract

Al Sanchez

Securing Long-Term Community Support for Offshore Wind in Coos County: Community Benefits Agreements

As Wind Energy Areas off the southern Oregon coast emerge, with several projects nearing completion of their environmental assessments on potential leasing impacts, ensuring long-term community support remains a critical challenge. While the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has conducted public outreach to address immediate concerns, their strategies lack a structured approach for sustaining economic/environmental benefits beyond initial development. This study examines how Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) can serve as a long-term framework for local economic resilience and environmental stewardship. Through a literature review of case studies from successful European models and emerging U.S. CBA examples, we identified best practices for fostering community acceptance. Namely, by facilitating continuous, transparent conversations with resident stakeholders to allow for community-driven decision-making. We then tailored these insights to Coos County, Oregon, integrating findings from our environmental assessments to design targeted benefits that support the region throughout the entire project life cycle. Such benefits may include local workforce training, habitat conservation, end-of-project restoration plans, and/or revenue-sharing funds. Our research outlines pragmatic finance strategies involving developer contributions, public-private partnerships, and state/federal incentives, ensuring feasibility for implementation. Findings indicate a well-structured CBA can mitigate opposition and promote long-term prosperity, securing both economic and environmental sustainability in Oregon's offshore wind sector. By embedding CBAs into the project from the outset and prioritizing long-term investment over short-term gains, developers may facilitate more seamless implementation and foster robust long-term community ties, ultimately enhancing viability and acceptance of offshore wind energy in Coos County.

Presenter: 373

Al Sanchez Sophomore Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering Texas Tech University Affiliations: McNair Scholars; TrUE Scholars Toreador

Abstract: B373

Impact Area: Energy

Session: B - Tues. April 1, 1:30 PM, TTU Museum Sculpture Garden

Project Author(s)

Al Sanchez, Zach Miller, Hannah Scaff, Bryan Cruz

Mentor

Matt Saldana Renewable Energy TTU College of Arts & Sciences