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
Event Documents
The following is a list of papers and presentations produced by this event.