TY - THES
TI - Ocean Justice: Strategies for an Equitable Implementation of North Carolina’s Offshore Wind Industry
AU - Schroeger, J
AB - The United States currently faces a dual crisis of climate change and inequality. In North Carolina, A 2019 report by Prosperity Now ranked the state 41st in overall prosperity of residents with the 29th highest rate of racial disparity in the country. Today’s inequities, which stem from a history of slavery, discriminatory policies, and oppressive development practices, are compounded by climate impacts. In addition to North Carolina’s history of environmental injustices, recurrent climate-related disasters have further entrenched the socioeconomic and racial divide, a trend seen across the nation. As climate change accelerates and its impacts worsen, communities that are already economically disadvantaged and physically vulnerable are at risk of being further marginalized.In light of accelerating climate risks and the economic crisis spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, calls have intensified for leveraging opportunities in the clean economy to address both climate change and socioeconomic disparities. Meanwhile, offshore wind is rapidly developing in the United States. With recent state and federal commitments, offshore wind is poised to become a major contributor to the United States’ clean energy economy in the next decade and beyond. The establishment of this massive new industry means an influx of economic activity as a workforce and supply chain is created to meet the industry’s needs. If fully developed along the east coast, offshore wind has the potential to create 83,000 jobs by 2030. If developed intentionally, this burgeoning industry could both mitigate climate change and provide meaningful economic benefits for disadvantaged communities (DACs) on a large scale. North Carolina’s recent climate and equity goals, set forth in the 2019 Clean Energy Plan and 2020 Climate Risk Assessment Resiliency Plan, provide an opportunity to identify how equity can be integrated into the state’s emerging offshore wind industry.Through this Master’s Project I recommend strategies that North Carolina can utilize to facilitate equitable outcomes through offshore wind development. In order to make these recommendations I employ a multi-pronged approach that answers the following questions:What is the current demographic breakdown of the industry workforce and where are the greatest needs for improvement?What strategies are other states employing to integrate equity considerations into their offshore wind plans?First, I conducted a demographic analysis of the occupations that will comprise the national offshore wind workforce to identify racial disparities in access to wealth-creating jobs within the industry. Results show that, overall, the offshore wind workforce is predominantly white and male compared to the national workforce. Additionally, representation of Black and Latinx populations in the lowest paying jobs is double that of the highest paying jobs, reflecting systemic barriers in access to higher education and training opportunities.Given these disparities, I then conducted an analysis of policies and programs that New York, New Jersey, and Maryland are rolling out to promote equitable development of offshore wind in their states. Each state has employed a number of strategies to ensure that the economic benefits from the industry are accessible to DACs. Strategies include statewide DAC investment mandates, set-aside mandates for minority and women-owned businesses (MWBEs), and public investments in education, workforce development, and supply chain assets that specifically target DACs and MWBEs.As North Carolina moves to stake its claim in offshore wind, decision makers should take note of equitable development practices spearheaded by other states. With these practices in mind, policies, programs, and incentives guiding offshore wind development can be crafted to prioritize communities that have historically been left behind
DA - 2021/04//
PY - 2021
SP - 44
PB - Duke University
LA - English
M3 - Master's Thesis
KW - Wind Energy
KW - Fixed Offshore Wind
KW - Human Dimensions
KW - Environmental Justice
KW - Social & Economic Data
ER -