RenewablesOffshore

Google Now Surfing the Oceans

You're probably already familiar with the neat application, Google Earth that allows you to view satellite imagery of any place in the world. But now, Google's going beyond land, and diving into the oceans with ambitious plans to create a three dimensional map of the world's oceans, according to this CNET story. From the article:

The company has assembled an advisory group of oceanography experts, and in December invited researchers from institutions around the world to the Mountain View, Calif., Googleplex. There, they discussed plans for creating a 3D oceanographic map, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The tool--for now called Google Ocean, the sources say, though that name could change--is expected to be similar to other 3D online mapping applications. People will be able to see the underwater topography, called bathymetry; search for particular spots or attractions; and navigate through the digital environment by zooming and panning....
Oceanography researchers, however, say such a tool would be incredibly useful. "There is no real terrain or depth model for the ocean in Google Earth," said Tim Haverland, a geospatial application developer at the Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "You can't get in a submarine and in essence fly through the water and explore ocean canyons yet."

Google Ocean will feature a basic layer that shows the depth of the sea floor and will serve as a spatial framework for additional data, sources said, adding that Google plans to try to fill in some areas of the map with high-resolution images for more detail.

I would guess that this type of information could prove extremely valuable for marine energy developers by providing data about potential sites. (full disclosure - my spouse is employed with Google, on a different project).

MMS and FERC, Both Busy

In the past month, both FERC and MMS have issued initiatives relating to marine renewables. In April 2008, FERC issued this Whitepaper that offers guidance on its pilot license process, through a series of FAQs. And also around that time, MMS issued this notice of the nominations that it received in response to its November request for nominations. The notice lists sixteen sites off the coast of New Jersey, Delaware, Georgia, Florida and California. The bulk of the sites are for offshore wind, with the exception of California which is for wave energy projects and Florida, for several current projects.

The World's Biggest Clean Energy Projects According to Forbes Include Marine Renewables

Don't miss this article from Forbes (4/30/08) on the World's Biggest Clean Energy Projects. Forbes' top ten includes several marine renewables projects, including the proposed wave energy farm off the coast of Orkney Island, a floating offshore wind energy project in the North Sea and an ambitious offshore wind farm off the coast of England. Take a look at the articles - it's worth it just for the pictures.

Tidal Project for New Zealand

Looks like the next "siting" of tidal power may be in New Zealand. According to this report, tidal company Neptune Power has received a consent to install an underwater turbine in the Cook Straits. The two rotor turbine will cost $4.5 million and has the capacity to generate one megawatt of power. However, to keep the project costs down, the turbine will be deployed closer to shore, where presumably tides are not as strong, thus reducing the power produced. The nine kilometer transmission cable that will send power to shore costs $2.3 million. If the project succeeds, Neptune hopes to have up to 30 turbines operating in Cook Strait by 2025.

Offshore Wind for the Great Lakes Faces Some Controversy

As in other parts of the country, offshore wind proposals for the Great Lakes is being met with what can best be described, as "bridled enthusiam." Even in a green-friendly state like Wisconsin, whose Public Service Commission just voted to assess the offshore wind potential on Lake Michigan and Lake Erie, many still oppose moving forward, according to this news report. Much of the opposition relates to aesthetics, although some also oppose wind because they regard it as an inefficient source of energy.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Michigan, there is also some interest in exploring offshore wind potential. Among other things, there's an interest in a consortium approach between lake front states to launch an offshore project.

Sorry for the Silence...I'm Back With Slides!

I realize that it's been a while since I last posted, but I've been playing catch up since returning from the incredible Global Marine Renewable Energy conference up in New York on April 17 and 18, 2008. Best part of the conference: DOE's announcement of $7.5 million in funding for wave, tidal, current and hydrokinetic projects, university research related to marine renewables and projects that address market accelerators that can speed the commercialization of marine renewables.

I also gave a presentation at the conference - sort of a Marine Renewables Regulation 101. It's embedded below. Let me know what you think.

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Conditional Licenses: How Helpful Are They?

Ever since FERC announced that it would issue conditional licenses for marine renewables projects, I've grappled with whether the policy makes sense for the industry. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a conditional license is issued following a full environmental review by FERC as well as a finding that the project would serve the public interest. But in contrast to a full license where an applicant can begin development right away, a conditional license makes project construction contigent on receipt of necessary authorizations from other state and federal agencies, such as a Section 401 water quality certificate or a CZMA certification. In FERC's view, issuing a conditional license would enable a developer to commence work on other requirements under the license (such as preparing various monitoring plans) and would facilitate financing. And many developers support the conditional license for similar reasons.

Rhode Island Extending Bids for Offshore Wind Development

Attention offshore wind farm developers: Rhode Island wants you. The Providence Journal reports that the state seeks a private company to construct, finance and operate an offshore wind farm about the same size and scope of the proposed Cape Wind project in Massachusetts (comprised of 130 3.6 MW turbines).

Currently, the preferred sites are off the south and western shores of Block Island, but other sites will be considered. What's interesting is one of the locations lies in state waters, just south of Block Island, while the other is southwest of the island in federal waters. Either site could contain 56 wind turbines and generate 220 megawatts of electricity (which actually makes the project roughtly half the size of Cape Wind). At this time, MMS still hasn't issued any rules for siting projects on the Outer Continental Shelf - and with presidential elections rapidly approaching (which means changes at the top of agencies like MMS), my guess is that we won't see a final rule issued and in place at least until 2009 (and that assumes that parties don't appeal the rule to the courts). So companies that are serious about developing Rhode Island's offshore wind resource should endeavor to make a proposal work in state waters so as to avoid the regulatory uncertainty in federal waters created by MMS' delays.

What's also interesting is that the article reports that even though the state has a particular site in mind, the state is also undertaking a zoning process to identify areas suitable for wind development. Apparently, there is at least some possibility that the zoning process might conclude that the Block Island site is off limits. If true, then Rhode Island's zoning process - which is intended to create more certainty for developers - could have the perverse effect of injecting more uncertainty into the permitting process for a Block Island offshore wind project.

Draft Marine Bill Issued for UK

A Draft Marine Energy Bill introduced in the UK will simplify licensing of marine renewables while ensuring adequate environmental protection, says this report. Key features of the bill include creation of a Marine Management Organization which will oversee licensing and environmental enforcement, introduction of a UK wide planning system for development and designation of marine conservation zones. While the bill's planning framekwork received support of the British Wind Energy Association, the Marine Conservation Society expressed disappointment that the bill did not go far enough to protect the marine environment.

The draft bill is lengthy and I haven't had a chance to read through it in its entirety. However, one advantage that the UK has over the US when it comes to regional planning is that the national government controls both waters and submerged lands off the coast. (Indeed, the legislation would not apply fully to Scotland or Wales). Here in the US, dominion over offshore lands is fractured, with the states and multiple federal agencies sharing jurisdiction. As a result, streamlining a licensing process here in the U.S. or even engaging in regional planning poses far more challenges.

Marine Current Turbines Deploys Off Northern Ireland

By summer, Bristol-based Marine Current Turbines will make history, when it flips the switch on its 1.2 megawatt tidal power turbine, the first commercial scale tidal project in the world. Earlier this week, MCT deployed its turbine in Strangford Narrows in Northern Ireland and expects to begin feeding power into the grid sometime over the summer, following 12 weeks of monitoring and observation. The narrows offer a sweet spot of tidal energy, situated as they are between the Irish Sea and the body of the Strangford Lough.

The project has received funded $9.6 million in funding from the Republic of Ireland's state owned utility and several other private investors, reports Clean Tech. And even as MTC moves forward with this historic deployment, it is eyeing other opportunities, including a 10.5 MW project off the coast of Anglesey, North Wales and a site in Vancouver. MTC is also considering applying for Scotland's $20 million (USD) Saltire Prize, that I mentioned here earlier this week.

Japan Sets Ambitious Marine Renewables Goal

A Japanese ocean energy group has proposed that the country meet ten percent of its energy needs from ocean energy by 2050, reports EnergyCurrrent.com. The OCean Energy Association Japan (OEAJ) made the recommendation as a part of government study on alternatives to oil.

While Japan doesn't receive much mention in marine renewables news these days, it's no stranger to the technology. Many major ocean energy innovations originated in Japan, including the oscillating water column (OWC) used in wave power and Kaimei technologies. And in contrast to the United States, where many developers have the goal of building utility-scale marine renewables power plants, in Japan, devices are often designed to help improve the country's mariculture industry in addition to generating electricity.

Profile of Matt Simmons, Ocean Energy Institute

Here's an interesting profile of Matt Simmons, head of Houston-based investment firm, Simmons and Company and founder of the Ocean Energy Institute. As Simmons explains, the Institute "will hopefully be a central gathering point of people who want to know about ocean energy. You only need about $50 million—which is nothing in the energy business—to get you through at least five years of seeing how real this area is." As for why ocean energy interests Simmons, here's what he has to say:

What’s interesting about the ocean is how much we know about it and how little we know about it. And the amount of work that’s being done … is about where offshore drilling was 60 or 70 years ago. Tidal energy has barely ever been tapped before, but we know where the tides are, and they just don’t happen to be in massive amounts in many places around the world. [But] there are some parts of the ocean where almost all the time there are waves coming in. It’s just amazing that here we are in 2007 tinkering around with this stuff like Thomas Edison used to do with electricity. Then there are currents. The Gulf Stream is essentially the largest river in the world ... and there are devices being developed that are anchored in a current and end up having a rotor that turns because of the current....

Be sure to read the entire interview.