Offshore Wind Energy Development and the Gulf of Mexico

Offshore Wind Energy Development and the Gulf of Mexico Region

Credit: Officers and Crew of NOAA Ship PISCES; Collection of Commander Jeremy Adams, NOAA Corps Location: Gulf of Mexico

Offshore wind energy development is proposed in the Gulf of Mexico (see map below) by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). This survey is one of several studies to collect information to inform decision-making processes. We are interested in learning about your opinions. Your responses will help NOAA and BOEM understand the potential human and social impacts from offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico.

By completing the survey, you are consenting to participate in this research. Although we hope that you will answer every question, you are free to skip any questions. Your participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw your consent and discontinue participation at any time. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

You will not be individually identified, and your responses will be used for statistical purposes only. Data collection will be managed by an external vendor who will not collect or store names. Mailing addresses will be used exclusively by the vendor for distributing survey materials and will not be linked to individual responses. Additionally, NOAA will not have access to or retain any mailing address information.

Public Burden Statement

The public reporting burden for this information collection is estimated to be 15 minutes per response. This burden estimate includes time for reading the instructions, reviewing the questions, and completing the survey instrument. Send comments regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate and any suggestions for reducing the burden to: noaa.nccos.sstex@noaa.gov. You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless a valid OMB control number is displayed.

1. Before today, had you heard about the potential for offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico?

• Yes

• No, but I had heard about offshore wind energy, in general

• No, and I hadn’t heard about offshore wind energy before today

2. How knowledgeable do you feel about offshore wind energy?

• Not at all knowledgeable

• Somewhat knowledgeable

• Very knowledgeable

• Extremely knowledgeable

3. Given what you currently know about offshore wind energy, have you formed an opinion about its potential development in the Gulf of Mexico?

• I support offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico (SKIP to Q5)

• I oppose offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico (SKIP to Q5)

• I have not yet made up my mind (CONTINUE to Q4)

4. [IF Q3=3] Even though you have not yet made up your mind about offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico, which way are you leaning?

• To support development

• To oppose development

• I don’t know

The Gulf of Mexico produces oil and gas. We are interested in understanding your perceptions of the impacts from offshore oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico.

5. What potential impact do you think oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has on these items? (select one response for each item)

	Very negative impact	Negative impact	No impact	Positive impact	Very positive impact	Not Sure
Affordability of residential electricity
Reliability of residential electricity
Commercial fishing
Commercial aquaculture
Coastal community livelihoods
Recreational fishing
Views of the ocean
Coastal habitats
Whales, dolphins, and sea turtles
Migratory birds and seabirds
Tribal orTraditional way of life
Marine navigation
Water quality

In addition to oil and gas, the Gulf of Mexico may also produce energy from offshore wind in the future. We are interested in understanding your perceptions of potential impacts from offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico.

6. Given what you currently know about offshore wind energy, what potential impact do you think offshore wind energy production in the Gulf of Mexico will have on these same items? (select one response for each item)

   	Very negative impact	Negative impact	No impact	Positive impact	Very positive impact	Not Sure
   Affordability of residential electricity
   Reliability of residential electricity
   Commercial fishing
   Commercial aquaculture
   Coastal community livelihoods
   Recreational fishing
   Views of the ocean
   Coastal habitats
   Whales, dolphins, and sea turtles
   Migratory birds and seabirds
   Tribal orTraditional way of life
   Marine navigation

7. Next, please tell us how important these same items are to you in terms of your quality of life in the Gulf of Mexico region. (select one response for each item)

	Not at all important	Somewhat important	Very important	Extremely important
Affordability of residential electricity
Reliability of residential electricity
Commercial fishing - excluding shrimping
Commercial shrimping
Commercial aquaculture
Coastal community livelihoods
Recreational saltwater fishing
Views of the ocean
Coastal habitats
Whales, dolphins, and sea turtles
Migratory birds and seabirds
Tribal/Traditional way of life
Marine navigation

8. How important do you think it is to pursue offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico?

• Not at all important

• Somewhat important

• Very important

• Extremely important

9. How important is it for electricity produced by offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico to… (select one response for each item)

	Not at all important	Somewhat important	Very important	Extremely important
Be used in your state?
Provide electricity for residential use?
Provide electricity for industrial use?
Provide electricity for commercial use?
Replace electricity produced by non-renewable sources?

10. Which of the following sources would you prefer to produce energy for your state? (select one response for each item)

	Yes	No
Hydropower (dams)
Coal
Oil (petroleum-based fuels)
Natural gas
Offshore wind
Land-based wind
Nuclear
Solar
Biomass (wood, plant or animal materials)
Marine hydropower (wave, tidal, current)
Geothermal

11. Do you believe that climate change is happening?

• Yes (CONTINUE to Q12)

• No (SKIP to Q14)

• I don’t know (SKIP to Q13)

12. Do you believe climate change is mainly caused by human activities or natural forces?

• Human activities

• Natural forces

• I don't know

13. Do you believe offshore wind energy could be an effective way to reduce climate change?

• Yes

• No

• I don’t know

The next several questions will ask about your past experiences, intentions, and preferences related to public participation in local issues in the Gulf of Mexico region.

14. In the last 12 months, have you done any of the following in response to either any environmental issue or offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico? (select one response for each item)

    	Any environmental issue in the Gulf of Mexico region	Offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico	Neither
    Signed a petition
    Written a letter to the editor
    Contacted a public official
    Joined or renewed membership to an advocacy group
    Attended a public meeting sponsored by a government agency
    Attended a public meeting sponsored by an advocacy group
    Attended a demonstration
    Contributed money to an organization
    Voted in a federal, state, or local election
    Displayed your position, such as with a bumper sticker, clothing, or yard sign
    Tried to change a friend’s or relative’s mind
    Tried to influence others using social media

15. In the next 12 months, how likely are you to do any of the following in response to offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico? (select one response for each item)

	Not at all likely	Somewhat likely	Very likely	Extremely likely
Sign a petition
Write a letter to the editor
Contact a public official
Join or renew membership to an advocacy group
Attend a public meeting sponsored by a government agency
Attend a public meeting sponsored by an advocacy group
Attend a demonstration
Contribute money to an organization
Vote in a federal, state, or local election
Display your position, such as with a bumper sticker, clothing, or yard sign
Try to change a friend’s or relative’s mind
Try to influence others using social media

16. How important is it for members of the public to provide input on offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico?

• Not at all important

• Somewhat important

• Very important

• Extremely important

17. How influential do you think public input is on offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico?

• Not at all influential

• Somewhat influential

• Very influential

• Extremely influential

• I don’t know

18. How important to you are the following goals of public participation? (select one response for each item)

	Not at all important	Somewhat important	Very important	Extremely important
Identify what is most important to the public
Incorporate public preferences into decisions
Create opportunities for fair discussion
Allow all interested individuals to have a say
Inform decision makers to public needs
Identify public preferences for potential solutions
Incorporate traditional and local knowledge into decisions
Incorporate Tribal knowledge into decisions
Provide information to the public

19. How influential do you think the results of this survey will be on offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico?

• Not at all influential

• Somewhat influential

• Very influential

• Extremely influential

20. Are you aware that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has hosted public meetings or asked for public comments related to offshore wind energy development in the Gulf of Mexico?

• Yes

• No

This is the final section of the survey. The following questions ensure that all groups are fairly represented. All answers are confidential.

21. Are you….?

• Female

• Male

• Transgender, non-binary, or another gender

• Prefer not to answer

22. What is your race and/or ethnicity? Please select all that apply.

□ American Indian or Alaska Native – Enter, for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Nome Eskimo Community, Aztec, Maya, etc. ____________________________

□ Asian – Provide details below.

□ Chinese □ Asian Indian □ Filipino

□ Vietnamese □ Korean □ Japanese

Enter, for example, Pakistani, Hmong, Afghan, etc. _______________________

□ Black or African American – Provide details below.

□ African American □ Jamaican □ Haitian

□ Nigerian □ Ethiopian □ Somali

Enter, for example, Trinidadian and Tobagonian, Ghanaian, Congolese, etc. ____________________

□ Hispanic or Latino – Provide details below.

□ Mexican □ Puerto Rican □ Salvadoran

□ Cuban □ Dominican □ Guatemalan

Enter, for example, Colombian, Honduran, Spaniard, etc. _________________________________

□ Middle Eastern or North African – Provide details below.

□ Lebanese □ Iranian □ Egyptian

□ Syrian □ Iraqi □ Israeli

Enter, for example, Moroccan, Yemeni, Kurdish, etc. ____________________________________

□ Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander – Provide details below.

□ Native Hawaiian □ Samoan □ Chamorro

□ Tongan □ Fijian □ Marshallese

Enter, for example, Chuukese, Palauan, Tahitian, etc. __________________________________

□ White – Provide details below.

□ English □ German □ Irish

□ Italian □ Polish □ Scottish

Enter, for example, French, Swedish, Norwegian, etc.___________________________________

23. In what year were you born? __________

24. Is English your primary language?

• Yes

• No

25. What is the highest level of education you have completed? Please check only one.

• Less than 9th grade

• 9th to 12th grade, no diploma

• High school graduate (includes equivalency)

• Some college, no degree

• Occupational, technical, or vocational program

• Associate's degree

• Bachelor's degree

• Graduate or professional degree

26. Are you a seasonal or year-round resident of the Gulf of Mexico region?

• Seasonal resident (I live in the Gulf of Mexico region only part of the year)

• Year-round resident (I live in the Gulf of Mexico region all year)

27. How many years have you been a resident of the Gulf of Mexico region? __________

28. Do you own or rent this residence (where this survey was mailed to)?

• Own

• Rent

• Other

29. How many people, including yourself, live in your household? __________

30. How many of these people are at least 18 years old? __________

31. Do you or does anyone in your household currently hold a saltwater fishing license?

• Yes

• No

32. Which best describes your current employment status? Please select all that apply.

• Unemployed

• Employed full-time

• Employed part-time

• Retired

• Student

• Homemaker

33. Are you or anyone in your household currently employed in one of the following industries? (please select Yes or No for each item)

	Yes	No
Fishing or fishing related (such as aquaculture, seafood preparation, or wholesalers)
Generation or distribution of renewable energy
Extraction or distribution of oil or natural gas
Marine construction
Port management or operations
Utility systems construction
Real estate, rental, or leasing

34. What was your annual household income in 202X, before taxes? Please check only one.

• Less than $25,000

• $25,000 to $44,999

• $45,000 to $74,999

• $75,000 to $124,999

• $125,000 or more

Thank you very much for taking the time to complete our survey. If you have any additional comments, please feel free to include them in the space provided below.

Thank you! That’s our last question. Please place this completed questionnaire in the postage-paid envelope provided and drop it off in the mail.

OMB Control No. 0648-0744 Exp Date: 3/31/2026

If you have any questions, please contact XX

13