How Are Tourists Affected By Offshore Wind Turbines? A Case Study Of The First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm

This paper examines the impact of the construction of United States’ first offshore wind farm off the coast of Block Island on tourism, the largest revenue generator for the island. Using a stated preference survey, we find no negative impact on the number of trips taken by tourists since their construction. We also examine the determinants of tourists’ willingness to pay for different recreational activities on Block Island, both with and without the presence of turbines. We find evidence that prior awareness of wind turbines results in an overall improvement in welfare by approximately 20 million USD in tourism-generated revenue. Repeat visitors and respondents with prior knowledge of the turbines are willing to pay more, on average, for locations with a view of the turbines across all activities