Date of Award
2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Affairs
Department
Marine Affairs
First Advisor
David Bidwell
Second Advisor
Emily Diamond
Abstract
Over the past decade, offshore wind energy installations have expanded across the U.S. Northeast, creating challenges in coastal communities' understanding of and access to information about these projects. The proliferation of misinformation, especially the link between offshore wind projects and whale mortality, has undermined public trust and meaningful community engagement in energy planning. As such, there is a need to consider communication and community engagement approaches that improve public understanding of offshore wind energy. Energy communication is an under-researched field, but it exerts considerable influence on the planning, design, and even the outcomes of energy projects. This dissertation examines offshore wind energy communication across three studies, investigating the perceptions and experiences of messengers involved in planning and development processes.
Manuscript 1 employed a mixed-methods approach, using semi-structured interviews (n = 29) and a quantitative survey (n = 84) with participants involved in leasing and permitting for two U.S. offshore wind projects: Vineyard Wind 1 and South Fork Wind. This study examined how misinformation is characterized, where it originates, and how it affects planning processes. This study is among the first to examine participants' perceptions of misinformation in energy planning processes. Findings demonstrate that misinformation was multidimensional and driven by individual-, organizational-, and societal-level factors. Misinformation hampered project development, disrupting the information channels needed for collaborative planning.
Manuscript 2 used semi-structured interviews (n = 20) with U.S. print and broadcast journalists who cover offshore wind energy projects to investigate how their professional roles influence how they navigate misinformation in their reporting. Using a hybrid deductive-inductive thematic analysis informed by journalistic role-perception frameworks, the findings elucidate that journalists primarily adopted interpretive and investigative role orientations. Journalists also navigated a tension between “strategic silence” and active debunking. Structural constraints, such as capacity limitations and diminished access to sources, hindered journalists’ ability to confront offshore wind misinformation and/or disinformation.
Manuscript 3 used a mixed-methods approach with semi-structured interviews (n = 61) and five community workshops across three U.S. port-adjacent communities: New Bedford, Massachusetts; New London, Connecticut; and Turner Station, Maryland. This study examined how these communities experienced offshore wind communication and engagement. Two concepts were advanced: first, community fit, which describes community members' desire for offshore wind developers to be part of the community. Second, the concept of relational engagement was developed and informed by community knowledge of their desired engagement practices for offshore wind. Relational engagement comprised three dimensions: being embedded in, knowledgeable about, and having strong relational bonds with the communities in which they operate.
Across all three studies, insights from messengers involved in offshore wind processes generated recommendations for improved communication and engagement practices. While offshore wind development has an uncertain future in the U.S., the findings here can inform strategies to ensure that future development addresses communication challenges early and reflects the needs of distinct socio-spatial communities affected by both onshore and offshore development.
Recommended Citation
Howley, Shannon, "FILLING THE COMMUNICATION VACUUM: MISINFORMATION, JOURNALISM, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN U.S. OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT" (2026). Open Access Dissertations. Paper 4592.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/oa_diss/4592