About the survey

POET shared this survey with attendees of the Pacific Offshore Wind Summit on May 12, 2023, posted to social media, and did email outreach to reach a wider audience. The survey closed on May 26, with 43 responses recorded. POET prepared this document to communicate results to interested parties. Qualitative questions are coded and summarized by key themes observed in the responses.

Please contact info@pacificoceanenergy.org with questions or comments.

Survey Results

Questions 1–5

Evaluate the following statements on a Strongly Disagree > Strongly Agree scale.

Question 6

Rank the following topics in order of importance (1 = Most important, 7 = Least important)

Question 6a

If you selected a ranking for "Other" in Question 6, please describe.

We received 9 responses that included descriptions of other topics not included in our drag and drop list, including:

Vessels
Power purchase agreements
Tribal concerns
Fishing concerns
Community benefit agreements

Question 6b

For the topic you ranked highest in Question 6, please describe what you consider to be the main challenge.

We generalized key themes found in the responses, grouped by topic.

Topics (click to expand)

Sea Space Conflict Resolution

Providing a means for Tribes, fishers, and coastal communities to gain ownership in the process
Performing Spatial planning to reduce conflicts
Moving offshore wind farm locations away from fishing grounds
Taking into account shifting habitat as a result of climate change
Avoiding loss of sustainable seafood sources
Addressing lost fishing grounds

Transmission/Energy Markets

A way for multiple electricity buyers to make commitments at the right time to drive investments
Determining which organization leads on offshore wind transmission planning
Technology challenges for offshore transmission
Land use conflict for terrestrial transmission
Expanding the existing grid to accommodate offshore energy sources

Port Infrastructure

De-risking and diversifying port investments required to support offshore wind
Public support for big investments in ports
Standardizing components to be handled and manufactured at ports
Sequencing and coordinating investments at different sites

Environmental Issues and Permitting

Many permitting agencies involved
Coordination among permitting agencies
Uncertainty around issues like monitoring and mitigation

Supply Chain

Insufficient manufacturing availability of many components
Avoiding duplicative effort in supply chain or port development

Workforce Development

Skilled labor shortage
Project labor agreements and community benefit provisions
Housing

Question 6c

For the topic you ranked highest in Question 6, please describe the scope of work a regional collaboration initiative should undertake.

We generalized key themes found in the responses, grouped by topic.

Topics (click to expand)

Sea Space Conflict Resolution

Identifying conflicts via close collaboration with the fishing industry
Work with BOEM to resolve conflicts
Engagement with coastal communities.
Working with tribal nations on development priorities and CBAs

Transmission/Energy Markets

Address transmission permitting
Bringing together governors and political leadership to scope a collaboration initiative
Identify and plan the points of interconnection
Plan the offshore grid and solicit competitive bids to construct

Port Infrastructure

Coordinate across multiple sectors outside of the offshore wind industry that also need access to ports.
Facilitate terminals specific to offshore wind.
Focus on areas of non-competitive common good

Environmental Issues and Permitting

Data management and monitoring practices
Interagency and state/federal coordination

Supply Chain

Bring local firms into the supply chain picture
Collaboration among industry to reduce technology uncertainty

Workforce Development

Outreach and advocacy to increase awareness of workforce needs
Collaboration on high school classes, apprenticeships and community college training

Question 7

Recognizing that any topic area listed in question 6 could warrant its own specific forum, to what extent do you agree that a top-level regional forum should be created to ensure that the offshore wind sector’s priorities are adequately represented? (1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree)

Question 8

If a regional collaboration initiative were created, what form should it take? Rank the options in order of importance. (1 = Most Important, 6 = Least Important)

Question 9

What examples of regional collaboration from the East Coast or elsewhere could serve as replicable structure/purpose?

New Mexico and Colorado state transmission authorities
Lower Columbia Solutions Group
Magnuson-Stevens Act fishery management council process.
Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind
New Jersey (agency not specified)
Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Ocean Plans
Community Energy Scotland
Scotland Deepwater Cluster
NYSERDA, including multiple workgroups
France Energies Marines COME3T

Question 10

What existing forums/organizations might play a central role in advancing a regional collaboration initiative?

Pacific Coast Collaborative
Western Governors Association
West Coast Ocean Alliance
Marine Mammal Center
Midwater Trawlers Cooperative
RODA
CA Ocean Protection Council
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
POET
Maritime Blue
NREL & PNNL
U.S. Department of Energy
NOAA NW Fisheries Science Center

Question 11

How should a regional collaboration initiative be funded? (select all that apply)

Regional OSW Cooperation Survey