Seeking Energy Sovereignty: Pacific Northwest Tribal Engagement in Proposed Offshore Wind Energy Development

Abstract

Climate change is a global problem that warrants widespread reduction in fossil fuel emissions. If the world is to phase out fossil fuel emissions, developers must aim to meet energy production and consumption needs with renewable energies: these include solar, wind, and wave energies. Offshore wind has the potential to become one of the leading climate mitigation strategies, with proposed sites on the West Coast of the United States. Pacific Northwest Tribal Nations are grappling with many complicated questions related to their potential participation in this wave of renewable energy development. Offshore wind projects also have the potential to harm ecosystems, disrupt access to ancestral waters and infringe upon treaty rights. Furthermore, the proposed offshore wind projects are the first of their kind on the West Coast; as such, there is a steep learning curve for both the way the projects are being planned and the real world long term effects. In addition, often energy and settler development projects fail to consult with Indigenous communities. Specifically, this thesis examines offshore renewable energy proposals and their relationships with Tribes in the Pacific Northwest, and calls for greater attention to problems stemming from the lack of consultation, location, and scale.