Report on assessment of socio- economic impacts of offshore wind farms

This report presents a qualitative review of prevailing socio-economic impacts of offshore wind farm developments and their assessment methods as addressed in academic literature and practice. The content and insights of this report draw on an extensive review of international scientific literature, a review of selected Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) reports and Environmental Impact Assessments Reports (EIARs), and interviews with expert stakeholders representing the European wind energy sector, academia and affected parties, including consultancies, public authorities, developers, researchers and local communities.
By conceptualising principal socio-economic impacts and reviewing related assessment methods, the report pursues three objectives:
1) establish a shared understanding of socio-economic impacts of offshore wind farms;
2) provide an overview of prevailing socio-economic impacts and juxtapose them with social and economic issues highlighted in the scientific literature; and
3) identify approaches and challenges of assessing key socio-economic impacts in practice.