Tethys Stories

Tethys Stories feature information on news, events, research, and projects relevant to wind and marine renewable energy development activities across the globe. Stories are contributed from individuals working in the field, and provide insight into advancing the energy industry in an environmentally responsible manner. If you are interested in providing content to be featured as a Tethys Story, please email tethys@pnnl.gov.

  • Submitted by ScotMER Team (Alexander Gilliland, Claire Gorby, Lucy Trimble, Coleen Murty, and Mariya Menova) on
    The Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) programme is a Scottish Government initiative that identifies and addresses key evidence needs to help inform licensing, consenting, and planning decisions around offshore renewable energy and disseminates that evidence back to a broad stakeholder community. This is done through seven receptor groups: Ornithology; Marine Mammals; Fish and Fisheries… Read More
  • Submitted by SPAN Team (Evelyn Philpott, Monika Kosecka, Jack Lucas, Hannah Millar, Rhiannon Nichol, Joe Onoufriou, Susanna Quer, Paul Stainer, Louise Wilson, and Kate Brookes) on
    In 2022, the Scottish Government held its first offshore wind leasing round in over a decade, ScotWind Leasing, and awarded seabed option agreements to a total of 20 offshore wind energy projects. Since the waters around Scotland are home to many marine species, the potential effects of underwater noise from offshore wind construction and operations on marine life remain key considerations in… Read More
  • Submitted by Lisa Ballance and Barbara Lagerquist; Oregon State University on
    In support of the United States' goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Technologies Office recently announced $15 million for five projects, co-funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), that will provide critical environmental and wildlife data to aid offshore wind development. As part of that effort, the Marine Mammal… Read More
  • Submitted by Madeleine Paris, Kristin Hodge, Corrie Curtice, Patrick Halpin, Douglas Nowacek; Duke University on
    Offshore wind (OSW) energy is on track to expand rapidly in the U.S. Atlantic, but the potential impacts of siting, construction, and operation on the local wildlife are not well known. There are sizable gaps in knowledge about the behaviors and movements of some species in the surrounding habitats. In support of the Biden Administration’s goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of OSW energy by 2030 (… Read More
  • Submitted by Liese Siemann, Tasha O’Hara, Luisa Garcia, and Farrell Davis; Coonamessett Farm Foundation on
    In support of the United States’ goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the Department of Energy Wind Energy Technologies Office recently announced $13.5 million for four projects that will provide critical environmental and wildlife data to aid offshore wind development. As part of this effort, Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) has just started leading what will be a five… Read More
  • Submitted by OES-Environmental on
    In order to responsibly develop marine energy, we need to understand the potential environmental effects on the animals, habitats, and environmental processes. There is still more to learn in order to support the deployment of this low carbon industry in a sustainable manner.   Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office, OES-Environmental and Pacific Northwest… Read More
  • Submitted by Tethys Wind Team on
    Tethys is an internationally recognized and trusted broker of information on the environmental effects of wind energy. After twelve years of operation, Tethys hosts over 4,700 documents relevant to wind energy and serves as a collaborative space and dissemination platform for several ongoing U.S. and international research efforts.  To help users discover and navigate the resources available on… Read More
  • Submitted by Tony Wright, general manager, Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) on
    Canada is witnessing a surge of interest in tidal stream technology development in the Bay of Fundy, but uncertainty around potential impacts on marine life has left the federal regulator, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), challenged to adequately assess the risk, particularly to fish. This uncertainty challenges the regulatory permitting process; without regulatory approval, developers cannot… Read More
  • Submitted by Luiz Faria (OERA Project Manager) on
    A major project risk in Canada for in-stream tidal energy project developers is the obligation to meet regulatory requirements related to Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM). The federal regulator (Fisheries and Oceans Canada; DFO) requires each project proponent to demonstrate that their project will cause minimal harm to biological components of the marine ecosystem. Specifically, the… Read More
  • Submitted by on
    The 2020 State of the Science Report was released on 8 June 2020 by Ocean Energy Systems (OES)-Environmental, supported by the  International Energy Agency, and dedicated to examining the environmental effects of marine renewable energy (MRE) development. The 300-page report is the most comprehensive international analysis to date on the issue, based on studies and monitoring from publicly… Read More