Marine renewable energy (MRE) is an emerging industry hampered by high monitoring costs and extended timelines associated with consenting/permitting (hereafter consenting). Through interactions with US regulators and the international MRE community, OES-Environmental has developed a pathway to risk retirement to inform a set of solutions that could allow regulators to consent and license MRE devices more readily than is currently available.
A key aspect of using the risk retirement process is ensuring that datasets from consented projects are readily available and catalogued so that the new projects can leverage or learn from previous data collection efforts.
This process, termed “data transferability”, consists of four components, shown graphically in Figure 1:
- Data transferability framework ‒ brings together datasets in an organized fashion, compares the applicability of each dataset for use in other locations, and guides the process of data transfer.
- Data collection consistency table ‒ provides preferred measurement methods or processes, reporting units, and the most common methods of analysis or interpretation/use of data.
- Monitoring datasets discoverability matrix ‒ allows a practitioner to discover datasets based on the approach presented in the framework.
- Best management practices ‒ consists of four best management practices (BMPs) that help guide data transferability and collection consistency.
Figure 1. Relationship of the four components of the data transferability process.
OES-Environmental has engaged with regulators, technical experts, and other members of the MRE community through surveys, workshops, and direct interactions to receive feedback throughout the development of the data transferability process. More information, including links to relevant workshop presentations, recordings, and reports can be found below in the Outreach & Engagement section.
Additional information on the components of the data transferability process can also be found in the following documents:
- 2024 State of the Science Report: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Around the World (Chapter 6)
- 2020 Risk Retirement and Data Transferability Short Science Summary
- Data Transferability and Collection Consistency in Marine Renewable Energy: An Update to the 2018 Report
Data Transferability Framework
Under OES-Environmental, a data transferability framework has been developed that outlines and guides the process for data transfer. The framework is described in detail in Data Transferability and Collection Consistency in Marine Renewable Energy: An Update to the 2018 Report.
The following guidelines for transferability describe the approach to apply the framework to environmental interactions in a hierarchy, ranging from necessary to desirable but not necessary for transferability (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Guidelines for transferability.
The steps shown in the figure above to consider for transferring data from a previous project to a new project include:
Step 1. Characterize the environmental interaction of the future project by examining the stressor, site conditions, MRE technology type, and receptor.
Figure 3. Characterizing the interaction.
Step 2. Compare the project size. Data will best be transferred among projects with small numbers of devices, or among small arrays, or among large commercial arrays.
Step 3. Compare the receptor species. A similar receptor group is necessary, but the species may differ.
Step 4. Compare the particular type of MRE technology (e.g., an oscillating water column vs. a point absorber for types of wave energy devices).
Step 5. Compare the tidal or wave energy resource climate (e.g., current speed or directionality).
The framework has been developed to provide a background against which discussions with regulators can proceed to enhance the understanding of the limits of transferability. The framework can also facilitate initial consenting discussions between developers and regulators to determine data collection and monitoring efforts needed to consent a project.
Data Collection Consistency
MRE is an international industry with consenting processes and research norms that differ among countries, regions, and research and commercial data collection efforts. It would be extremely difficult to enforce the use of specific protocols or instruments to collect all data for pre- or post-installation monitoring. However, encouraging the use of consistent data collection processes and reporting units for monitoring data could increase confidence in the transfer of data from already consented projects to future projects. The data collection consistency table below (Table 1) provides preferred measurement methods or processes, reporting units, and the most common methods of analysis or interpretation/use of data. While the use of this table and consistent approaches to data collection is encouraged and can be helpful, it should not be considered as required for transferability or informing consenting for new projects.
Table 1. Data collection consistency table. This table will be reviewed and updated by OES-Environmental in 2026.
| Stressor | Process or Measurement Tool | Reporting Unit | Analysis or Interpretation |
| Collision Risk |
Sensors include:
|
|
Number of collisions or close interactions of animals with turbines to validate collision risk models |
| Underwater Noise |
|
Amplitude:
Frequency:
|
Sound outputs compared to regulatory action levels. Generally reported as broadband noise. |
| Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) |
Source:
|
|
Measured EMF levels to validate existing EMF models around cables |
| Habitat Change |
|
|
Compare potential changes in habitat to maps of rare and important habitats to determine if they are likely to be harmed. |
| Displacement/Barrier Effect |
Population estimates by:
|
|
|
| Changes in Flow |
|
|
Data collected around arrays to validate models. |
Monitoring Datasets Discoverability Matrix
The Monitoring Datasets Discoverability Matrix classifies monitoring datasets from already consented projects for six stressors (collision, underwater noise, electromagnetic fields, habitat change, displacement, oceanographic systems). The online tool allows regulators and/or developers to discover datasets that can be transferred and used for consenting future projects.
Best Management Practices
Best management practices (BMPs) for data transferability were developed to help guide the implementation of the data transferability process. The BMPs are practical steps that address the use of data from previous projects for consenting new MRE projects.
Table 2. Best management practices for data transferability, including the purpose of each BMP and the interested parties who would benefit from their use.
| Best Management Practices | Purpose | Interested Parties |
| BMP 1: Meet the necessary minimum requirements to be considered for data transfer. | Ensure minimum thresholds including using same interactions, are met for transferring data. | Regulators, as well as MRE device developers and consultants. |
| BMP 2: Determine likely datasets that meet data consistency needs and quality assurance requirements. | Ensure methods used to collect/analyze data are compatible and will help to determine the validity of comparing the datasets. | Regulators, as well as MRE device developers and consultants. |
| BMP 3: Use models in conjunction with and/or in place of datasets. | Encourages the use of numerical models to simulate interactions. | Researchers, consultants, regulators. |
| BMP 4: Provide context and perspective for datasets to be transferred. | Encourages the use of available and pertinent datasets to enhance the interpretation of data and information. |
Device developers, consultants, regulators, researchers. |
Outreach & Engagement
The activities and timeline for developing and sharing the data transferability process with MRE regulators, developers, researchers, and other members of the MRE community are shown below. Since 2020, outreach and development efforts on data transferability have been incorporated into efforts on risk retirement. More information on these efforts are available on the Risk Retirement Outreach & Engagement page.
2024
2020
- July 2020 Monitoring Datasets Discoverability Matrix Workshop
- Report: Data Transferability and Collection Consistency in Marine Renewable Energy: An Update to the 2018 Report
- February 2020 Data Transferability Workshops for US and UK Regulators previewing the Monitoring Datasets Discoverability Matrix
- Report: OES-Environmental 2020 State of the Science Report: Environmental Effects of Marine Renewable Energy Development Around the World
2019
- Report: Data Transferability Effectiveness Report
- May 2019 Risk Retirement and Data Transferability Workshops for US Regulators
- April 2019 Data Transferability Workshops for US Regulators
2018
- Report: Data Transferability and Collection Consistency in Marine Renewable Energy Report
- Regulator Webinars: The PNNL team held a series of webinars to engage US regulators and the broader MRE community to gather feedback on the data transferability process and best management practices:
- August 2018 Data Transferability Process for MRE Webinar for US Regulators
- September 2018 Optimizing Permitting for MRE through Data Transferability Webinar
- International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) 2018 Workshop: Based on the findings of the 2018 regulator workshops, a workshop was held at ICOE 2018 in France that brought together regulators, developers, consultants, and researchers to gather additional feedback on the data transferability framework, to detail lessons learned from the focus groups, and to work towards implementation.
- Data Transferability Regulator Workshops: Regulator workshops were held with US regulators in-person and online to present data and information on environmental effects of MRE developments, to understand regulators’ willingness to transfer data, and to gather feedback on the data transferability framework.
2017
- Data Transferability Literature Review and White Paper: The PNNL team completed a literature review on data transferability and put together a white paper that detailed the literature review and a framework based on the findings.
- US Regulator Webinars: The PNNL team held two consecutive webinars to discuss environmental effects of consenting MRE developments with regulators and conducted a survey with US regulators to better understand challenges for consenting MRE developments.