Because ocean renewables are emerging technologies, there is some uncertainty as to how the regulatory and permitting processes apply to these types of energy projects. The West Coast Framework aims to reduce this uncertainty by providing summaries of state and federal authorization processes relevant to ocean renewables on the west coast of the U.S. so that stakeholders can gain a better understanding of these complex regulatory authorities.
These summaries are intended as informational resources to support stakeholders in navigating the regulatory framework for *hydrokinetic technologies by providing clear, concise descriptions of the current federal and state regulatory requirements, outlining the authorization processes, and identifying the agencies involved in each authorization. The goal is to help prepare stakeholders to work with regulatory officials to chart a reasonable course through the regulatory process.
*Note: This portion of the West Coast Framework is applicable to hydrokinetics (i.e., wave and tidal energy). This section may be expanded in the future to include regulatory processes for offshore wind development on the west coast.
Introduction
Fundamentals of the Regulatory Framework
Federal Authorizations Updated!
California Authorizations
Oregon Authorizations Updated!
Washington Authorizations
State Authorization Process Times (PDF)
In addition to the west coast states, information on the regulatory and permitting process for hydrokinetics in other states is also available within this knowledgebase:
Alaska
Florida
Hawaii Updated!
Maine Updated!
Massachusetts Updated!
Rhode Island
Download the entire Siting Handbook as as a PDF document.
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