Planning & Assessment Framework

In general, phased development involves starting with a small-scale project that is expanded through a series of build-outs over time.   In the context of ocean renewable energy, phased development enables developers and agencies to better understand and manage the performance and potential effects of projects.   For example, if the long term objective is to build a 100 MW wave energy facility, the initial phase might be the deployment of a 10 MW pilot-project.  Data and information collected during the initial pilot phase would then be used to inform expansion of the project to a 20 MW facility.  This incremental information collection and build-out would continue until the 100 MW commercial facility is complete. 

Because phased development allows information to be gathered during each phase of development, it can help meet business needs and regulatory requirements by providing a progressively better understanding of the technology, the environment, and project effects.  Early development and regulatory experience indicates that developers, agencies, and stakeholders support a phased development approach for ocean renewable energy because it enables effective, informed management of device performance and environmental effects.  However, neither federal nor state regulatory processes are currently structured to support an incremental approach.