Offshore Wind and Equity National Workshop

The Offshore Wind and Equity National Workshop will bring together representatives from state agencies and community-based organizations (CBOs) to identify how state agencies can incorporate principles of Equity and Justice into the offshore wind planning and development process. 

Over three days, Workshop participants will discuss how to build an engagement process between states and communities for offshore wind planning and development that prioritizes shared decision-making, co-design and co-implementation of solutions, shared benefits across all parties and investments in communities. The Workshop will endeavor to answer the following questions: 

1. What is an engagement process for offshore wind planning and development that brings historically marginalized communities into partnership with state decision-makers? 

1. How do we characterize and evaluate existing relationships between states and historically marginalized communities when it comes to community engagement for offshore wind planning and development? 

1. How can we begin to build these partnerships and use them to drive just and equitable offshore wind planning and development? 

After the Workshop, CESA will lead a Working Group of states and CBOs to develop a set of recommendations that states may incorporate into their offshore wind planning and development processes over the coming years. 

The Workshop is virtual, and it will take place over 8 hours split between the three days, according to the following schedule: 

• August 28 – 1-3:30pm ET
• August 29 – 1-4pm ET
• August 30 – 1-3:30pm ET

Workshop Organizers:

CESA, Equnival Partners, CAUSE, Community Housing Empowerment Solutions, Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, Ironbound Community Corporation, South County Environmental Justice Council, UPROSE, California Energy Commission, Maryland Energy Administration, Maryland Department of Labor, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, New Jersey Economic Development Authority, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority