The Perception of Polish Business Stakeholders of the Local Economic Impact of Maritime Spatial Planning Promoting the Development of Offshore Wind Energy

Abstract

The recently adopted maritime spatial plan for Polish sea waters promotes offshore wind farm (OWF) development. The study’s identification of the local municipalities affected by offshore development was based on the plan’s provisions. Through the analysis of the plan and literature findings, both positive and negative impacts of future OWF development were identified and examined. Such an analysis seems to be a precondition for the more active engagement of local stakeholders in the debate on the ways in which to best utilize the new opportunities created by the plan and cope with the threats resulting from maritime spatial planning (MSP). The key impacts recognized by the local business stakeholders have been related to landscape pollution and fishing limitations. Stakeholders less frequently have noticed positive impacts of MSP such as development of a new form of tourism. Up to this point, small municipalities have not undertaken sufficient action, and there is a lack of communication between developers, marine planners and coastal communities. Planners have not assessed the impact of their plan on local economic development. The proposed remedies cover standard actions related to communication, education and dialogue, but in addition to that, a consolidated action of local municipalities on how to capitalize on OWF development has been proposed. The first step proposed is preparation of a joint strategy by coastal municipalities addressing this issue.

Offshore wind energy potential in Europe: a forecast of installed capacities and costs

“…This multi-year process is important as it allows potential conflicts of interest to be identified and managed at an early stage and allows the work started at the spatial planning stage to continue. The identification of a given marine space as a space with potential for offshore energy development also determines the possibility of developing the local economy and community, changing its character and carrying both potential benefits and costs (Laskowicz, 2021). Adequate management of the marine space at the stage of its inclusion in the spatial development plan and then through continued dialogue between different interest groups is important for the feasibility of offshore wind farm projects, with an appropriate level of public acceptance (Lamy et al, 2020).…”