The immense U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has been explored for expansion of offshore industries but has encountered social, political, and regulatory hurdles to rapidly growing these industries. Competition for space, environmental concerns, and aesthetic preferences have greatly slowed the development of significant industries in the U.S., including aquaculture and large-scale offshore marine energy (OME). The co-location of OME and aquaculture has long been explored and practiced in Europe and Asia as a solution to address increasing congestion and minimize impacts from ocean-based OME and aquaculture industries. Here we review the state of knowledge about the co-location of OME and aquaculture, including several ecological and social factors and find a complex socio-ecological landscape. We apply these insights to the U.S. context highlighting specific obstacles and opportunities for co-location in the U.S. We divide the EEZ into ten regions and assess the feasibility of co-location in each using a macro-siting approach and qualitative characterization to discuss the potential in each region. We discovered several barriers to co-location in the U.S. including inappropriate regulatory structure, significant public opposition to ocean industries, and a lack of incentives for energy and aquaculture companies to operate together. Creative, locally-specific approaches could improve relationships between fishing communities and emerging ocean industries through co-development or cooperative cultivation, fishery enhancement, or resource sharing. The physical conditions, renewable energy goals, and public and political support make the Northeast and Gulf of America regions the most opportune for co-location of OME and aquaculture in the U.S.