- A report by the TRANSECTS programme warns that current governance arrangements risk leaving coastal communities to bear the costs of the marine energy transition, with limited long‑term benefits.
- Researchers examined over 200 years of marine industries – from whaling and fishing to offshore oil and gas and today’s renewables – and found repeating patterns of limited local influence, boom‑and‑bust cycles and unequal benefit sharing.
- Case studies in Orkney, northeast Scotland and the Humber Estuary reveal persistent challenges, such as local voices being sidelined and benefits accruing elsewhere.
As the UK races to build offshore wind farms, tidal arrays and other marine renewables, a new report from University of Aberdeen researchers has warned that coastal communities could again be left behind.
Researchers from the TRANSECTS (TRANSitions in Energy for Coastal Communities over Time and Space) programme, also led by Heriot‑Watt University and funded by UK Research and Innovation, analysed the history of marine industries over the past two centuries.
They found that successive “energy transitions” – from 18th‑century whaling to North Sea oil and gas – have often imposed social and environmental costs on coastal communities, without delivering commensurate economic benefits.
The report highlights that communities in Orkney, northeast Scotland and the Humber Estuary have experienced limited local influence over major projects and suffered from boom‑and‑bust cycles. Even as offshore renewables promise cleaner energy, the research suggests similar governance flaws persist.
Principal investigator Dr Karen Alexander warned that unless governance structures are reformed, the energy transition could replicate past inequities. University of Aberdeen research fellow Dr Amy McCarron said decisions made decades ago still shape coastal economies today and emphasised that questions of “who benefits, who bears the costs and whose voices are heard” must be addressed.
To build a fairer marine energy economy, the report recommends adopting place‑based planning that gives communities a greater say, enhancing coordination between national and local authorities, and investing in local skills and capacity.
It also advocates clearer pathways for community benefits and sustained engagement to ensure that offshore projects deliver jobs and prosperity locally.
The research serves as a reminder that social licence and equitable benefit sharing are as important as gigawatt targets; as the government prepares Allocation Round 8 for offshore wind and marine projects, incorporating these lessons could help avoid repeating historical patterns of neglect.
