Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan contributed to a Great Lakes Now article examining the potential for—and stalled progress of—Great Lakes offshore wind energy.
In the piece, Professor Scanlan outlines five primary factors that have stalled offshore wind progress: jurisdictional fragmentation, inadequate planning, unstable federal policies, protracted litigation, and a lack of sustained political will. She also emphasized that a lack of rigorous planning allows inaccurate myths about offshore wind to more easily spread.
Scanlan emphasized that a transparent, science-based planning process is essential for reliable regulatory decisions.
While acknowledging the economic challenges of offshore wind, Scanlan pointed out the steep financial and environmental costs of continuing to rely on fossil fuels. Ultimately, she notes the need to balance growing electricity demands and ecological protection: “As a society, we need to develop energy resources that are not in conflict with protecting the environment,” she said.
Read the full Great Lakes Now article: As affordability issues surge, is it finally time for offshore wind?
Want to learn more about offshore wind in the Great Lakes? Read the Center’s research:
1. Great Lakes Offshore Wind: An Analysis of Coastal Management Planning Tools
2. Great Lakes Offshore Wind: Creating a Legal Framework for Net Positive Environmental, Social, and Financial Benefits
Watch: Get a quick overview of our findings by checking out the Center’s short video highlighting the essential takeaways from the research here.