Enhancing social impact and acceptance

Speakers:

Sue Barr, OpenHydro

Bruce Buchanan, Marine Scotland

Polls and surveys show that support for ocean energy is high among Europeans. A recent UK survey indicates that 77% of the population sees ocean energy as a viable alternative in the transition away from fossil-fuel power generation.

As ocean energy deployment increases, communities hosting projects and their grid infrastructure may express concerns, as is the case for most infrastructure development today.

To ensure support for ocean energy remains high and avoid costly challenges to project permits, how should the ocean energy sector engage with local communities? How can the benefits of ocean energy be properly expressed while taking into account local concerns? What can be learnt from experiences in other renewable energy sectors?