For the first time, NOAA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will work together to conduct a survey of North Carolina and South Carolina residents on their support of proposed wind farm development off their coasts.

Proposed Wind Energy Areas off the coast of North Carolina.

Theresa Goedeke, a social scientist with NCCOS, told Greenwire that they 'would like to understand how residents' knowledge, beliefs, social values, and attitudes relative to local marine and coastal landscapes vary across community geography, and how this variation influences their comfort level with potential offshore wind energy development in their area.'

BOEM plans to use the survey's results as part of its environmental reviews on leases.

NOAA and BOEM have partnered previously in this region to investigate sensitive hardbottom communities in a Wind Energy Area off of Cape Fear, NC, but no human dimensions were included in this work.

For more information, contact TheresaGoedeke.