DOE Marine and Hydrokinetic Workshop for State and Federal Regulators

On May 5–6, 2015, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and US Department of Energy (DOE) jointly hosted a marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) workshop for state and federal regulators in Washington, D.C. More than 40 participants attended, primarily from federal agencies including the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and the National Oceanic and Atmo­spheric Administration.

The MHK industry is relatively young, with a scarcity of available information or prior experience. The purpose of this workshop was to bring regulators up to speed on the cur­rent state of the industry and to promote the usage of avail­able data in driving risk-based regulatory approaches to plan for the future.

The workshop featured presentations and discussions on the present understanding and observations of potential MHK impacts, lessons learned on permitting processes to date, and an exploration of the effective use of adaptive management concepts in MHK technology development. Topics included the potential impacts of physical interactions, electromag­netic fields, and acoustic noise on the environment and wildlife. In addition, industry case studies on the effective utilization of adaptive management were also presented to explore the effectiveness of using adaptive management practices in the MHK industry.

A report on the workshop is available here.

Presentations for Day 1

Regulatory Introduction: Roles and Responsibilities within the Permitting Process

Anna West, Kearns & West

MHK Technology Overview

Ryan Sun Chee Fore, U.S. Department of Energy

Introduction and Overview of Environmental Issues and Processes

Sharon Kramer, H.T. Harvey & Associates

Physical interactions with MHK Devices

Jocelyn Brown-Saracino, U.S. Department of Energy

Acoustic Output from MHK Devices

Chris Bassett, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Effects of MHK Development on Physical Systems

Jesse Roberts, Sandia National Laboratory and Craig Jones, Integral Consulting

IEA Annex IV and Tethys Database Demonstration

Hoyt Battey, U.S. Department of Energy

Presentations for Day 2:

Electromagnetic Force (EMF) from Tidal and Wave Devices and its Impact on Marine Animals

Andrew Gill, Cranfield University

Lessons Learned from the Wind Industry

Ian Baring-Gould, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Federal and State Agency Round-table: Perspectives on the Permitting Process

Moderator: Anna West, Kearns & West

Information and Perspectives from Industry

Al LiVecchi, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Adaptive Management Case Studies Round-Table

Moderator: Al LiVecchi, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Breakout Discussions: Knowledge/Research Gaps

Moderator: Sharon Kramer, H.T. Harvey & Associates