Unintended consequences of Offshore Wind farms: a socio-economic impact evaluation on wellbeing and community dynamics

Project Description:

This PhD scholarship is offered by the EPSRC CDT in Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience; a partnership between the Universities of Durham, Hull, Loughborough and Sheffield. The project is sponsored by industry partner, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). The successful applicant will undertake six-month of training with the rest of the CDT cohort at the University of Hull before continuing their PhD research at Loughborough University.

Offshore wind farms represent a crucial component of the transition towards clean energy. However, their establishment may lead to unintended consequences that impact well-being and community dynamics, directly and indirectly. For instance, the construction and operation of offshore wind farms can have temporary and long-term impacts on local communities. Noise, dust, and increased traffic during construction can lead to disruptions and reduced quality of life for residents. On the other hand, the long-term presence of wind farms can also alter the cultural and social fabric of coastal communities, generating negative impacts in term of well-being and community cohesion. Coastal communities often have strong cultural ties to the sea and the land. The introduction of offshore wind farms can disrupt this cultural identity, as the landscape changes and traditional activities are affected. This can lead to a sense of loss and detachment among community members. 

This PhD research will address these challenges through a robust analysis of offshore wind farms’ influence on quality of life, social cohesion, and economic resilience. Employing both behavioural and applied economics methodologies, the study will capture the short- and long-term implications of these developments to provide insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders.

Methodology

This research seeks to investigate the unintended consequences of offshore wind farms on wellbeing and community dynamics, where also pro-social behaviour will be considered. By identifying potential negative impacts, such as habitat loss and pollution from coastal development, as well as positive spillover effects like enhanced community resilience and increased recreational opportunities, the study aims to provide insights for policymakers and stakeholders. These insights can assist in crafting policies that promote for instance, sustainable fisheries management or develop marine spatial planning, fostering sustainable well-being in coastal regions. The study will analysis various dynamics addressing questions such as:

• What are the unintended consequences of offshore wind farm construction and operation on the well-being of local communities, including potential disruptions to quality of life and social cohesion?
• How do these unintended consequences vary across different stages of the wind farm lifecycle, from construction to long-term operation?
• Are there positive spillover effects of offshore wind farms on local economies, employment, and community empowerment that contribute to improved well-being?

To achieve this objective, we will adopt a combination of applied and behavioural economics methodologies, utilizing both primary and secondary data sources. This comprehensive approach will facilitate a thorough assessment of the unanticipated effects of offshore wind farms on well-being and community welfare, potentially incorporating longitudinal studies to capture temporal dynamics.

Training and development

You will benefit from a taught programme, giving you a broad understanding of the breadth and depth of current and emerging offshore wind sector needs. This begins with an intensive six-month programme at the University of Hull for the new student intake, drawing on the expertise and facilities of all four academic partners. It is supplemented by Continuing Professional Development (CPD), which is embedded throughout your 4-year research scholarship.

The successful candidate will develop expertise in behavioural economics, econometrics, and advanced data analysis tools, preparing them for impactful careers across academia, consulting, government, and beyond. You will develop a wide range of numerical modelling and programming skills that will provide excellent career opportunities in both academia and industry. You will be provided with the opportunity to acquire skills and expertise in software such as Stata and Matlab or Python. 

Entry requirements

If you have received a First-class Honours degree, or a 2:1 Honours degree and a Masters, or a Distinction at Masters level with any undergraduate degree (or the international equivalents) in economics, energy economics, environmental science or related fields, we would like to hear from you. Strong analytical, quantitative and interdisciplinary collaboration skills are essential.

If your first language is not English, or you require Tier 4 student visa to study, you will be required to provide evidence of your English language proficiency level that meets the requirements of the CDT’s academic partners. This course requires academic IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.0 in each skill.

If you have any queries about this project, please contact Dr Simona Rasciute, S.Rasciute@lboro.ac.uk

You may also address queries about the CDT to auracdt@hull.ac.uk.

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Funding

The CDT is funded by the EPSRC, allowing us to provide scholarships that cover fees plus a stipend set at the UKRI nationally agreed rates. These are currently circa £19,795 per annum at 2025/26 rates and will increase in line with the EPSRC guidelines for the subsequent years (subject to progress).

Eligibility

Research Council funding for postgraduate research has residence requirements. Our CDT scholarships are available to Home (UK) Students. To be considered a Home student, and therefore eligible for a full award, a student must have no restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the scholarship (with some further constraint regarding residence for education). For full eligibility information, please refer to the EPSRC website.

We also allocate a number of scholarships for International Students per cohort.

References

• Glasson, J., Durning, B., Welch, K. and Olorundami, T., 2022. The local socio-economic impacts of offshore wind farms. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 95, p.106783.
• Gibbons, S., 2015. Gone with the wind: Valuing the visual impacts of wind turbines through house prices. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 72, pp.177-196.
• Jobert, A., Laborgne, P. and Mimler, S., 2007. Local acceptance of wind energy: Factors of success identified in French and German case studies. Energy policy, 35(5), pp.2751-2760.
• McCunney, R.J., Mundt, K.A., Colby, W.D., Dobie, R., Kaliski, K. and Blais, M., 2015. Wind turbines and health: A critical review of the scientific literature. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 57(10), pp.e133-e135.
• Meyerhoff, J., Ohl, C. and Hartje, V., 2010. Landscape externalities from onshore wind power. Energy Policy, 38(1), pp.82-92.
• Schuster, E., Bulling, L. and Köppel, J., 2015. Consolidating the state of knowledge: a synoptical review of wind energy’s wildlife effects. Environmental Management, 56, pp.300-331.