Exploring the perception of decision-makers towards a marine renewable energy project on the island of Cozumel, Mexico

Abstract

New Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) technology to harvest energy from the ocean is being developed worldwide, including in Mexico, and it will probably increase in the future. Importantly, as new technologies for MRE electricity production develop, it is necessary to assess the societal perception and the acceptance of these new technologies. Ignoring these is an error that could result in the opposition and interruption of these projects, even if they benefit the environment and society. Thus, this study aimed to explore local authorities' perceptions of the development of a marine energy project off the coast of Cozumel. The approach was qualitative, and the methodology consisted of conducting open interviews with key actors to inquire about the perceived challenges to developing a marine energy project. The results show that the main perceived limitations are social, highlighting the resistance of various groups towards external projects. The resistance to changes in the environment results from previous experiences where the project promoters neither informed adequately the population about the practice of conducting research in the area nor shared the results and did not consider the participation of local actors. 

Keywords

Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) / Sustainable development / Cozumel / Mexico / Social perception

Highlight

•	There is a growing demand for Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) especially near the coasts.
•	The island of Cozumel in the Mexican Caribbean may be subject to harvesting MRE.
•	We explored the authorities' perceptions of society's acceptance of MRE.
•	Resistance to new technologies results from misinformation and unclear benefits.
•	The participation of local agents and effective communication is essential.

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Funding

Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología(FSE-2014-06-249795)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

The Author(s)