WHO Under funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Oregon Wave Energy Trust (OWET), and the West Coast Governor's Agreement on Ocean Health (WCGA) Pacific Energy Ventures (PEV) is developing the West Coast Planning & Assessment Framework.
WHAT The Planning & Assessment Framework is intended to support developers, regulators, and policymakers in planning for and assessing potential effects of ocean renewable energy development.
WHEN Development of the Framework began in fall of 2009 and is ongoing.
WHERE Portions of the Framework are added to the MHK KnowledgeBase as they are developed.
WHY Regulatory, permitting and planning processes provide parameters to guide development and analyze potential effects on environmental, physical, and socioeconomic resources. Identification of and access to information reduces uncertainty and improves decision making for all parties in the development of any energy project; this is particularly critical for emerging renewable energy technologies like ocean renewables.
HOW The West Coast Planning & Assessment Framework functions to reduce uncertainty and improve decision-making in two ways. First, the framework describes the permitting and planning processes so that stakeholders can gain a better understanding of these complex regulatory authorities. Second, the framework identifies and provides access to information needed to implement the permitting and planning processes.
The Framework in its entirety is outlined below:
Complete - areas of Framework that have been completed with OWET and DOE funding.
In-process - areas of Framework under development with OWET and WCGA funding.
OWET Existing Data - areas where OWET has developed content that has not yet been incorporated into the framework.
1. Information About the Relevant Regulatory and Permitting Processes
a) FEDERAL: Summary of federal laws and authorities relevant to ocean renewable energy
b) STATE: Summary of state laws and authorities relevant to ocean renewable energy
c) MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES: Other Federal processes/drivers that may influence project approach for ocean renewables
(i) Ecosystem Based Management
(ii) Adaptive Management Guidance (DOI)
2. Information to Support the Relevant Regulatory and Permitting Processes
a) STRESSORS: Specifications of wave energy conversion technologies
(i) Device Types and Systems
(ii) Anchor Types
(iii) Infrastructure (e.g., subsea transmission cables)
b) RECEPTORS: Information about existing Northeast Pacific Ocean natural resources
(i) Physical
(a) California Current Geography
(b) Special Management Areas
(c) Habitats
--Pelagic Habitats
--Benthic Habitats
(ii) Biological
(a) Fishes
--Groundfish
--Coastal Pelagic Species
--Highly Migratory Species
--Pacific Salmon
(b) Marine Mammals
--Cetaceans
--Pinnipeds
--Sea Otters
(c) Seabirds
c) ANALYTICAL TOOLS: Summary of currently employed environmental risk assessment concepts and tools
d) ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: Summary of potential environmental effects of wave energy, categorized by Stressor (includes construction, operation, and decommissioning)
(i) Above Water Physical
(a) Collision
(b) Haul out and Roosting
(c) Lighting
(ii) Below Water Physical (includes device, anchoring systems and subsea cables)
(a) Fish Attraction Device and Artificial Reef Effect
(b) Collision
(c) Entanglement-Entrapment
(d) Wave Energy, Currents, Sediment Transport
(iii) Electromagnetic Fields
(iv) Sound and Acoustics
(v) Chemical
(vi) Land-based Effects
e) SOCIOECONOMIC EFFECTS: Summary of potential socioeconomic effects of ocean renewables, categorized by Stressor (includes construction, operation, and decommissioning)
(i) Economic Resources
(ii) Social and Cultural Resources
f) CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ASSESSMENT
3. Information About and to Support Relevant Planning Processes
a) POWER PLANNING: Information used by regional and utility power and infrastructure planning processes.
(i) The West Coast wave energy resource
(ii) West Coast Power Market
(iii) West Coast infrastructure
(iv) Cost of energy produced by wave energy
b) SPATIAL USE PLANNING: Information about the relevant planning processes that may influence or affect development.
(i) Federal Planning Processes
(a) White House Ocean Policy Task Force
(ii) Regional Planning Processes
(a) West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health
(iii) State Planning Processes
(a) OR Territorial Sea Plan: Part Five
c) PHASED DEVELOPMENT: Align federal and state process to meet industry needs to develop project in incremental stages.
(i) Federal process
(a) FERC, MMS, NOAA
(ii) State process
(a) Oregon Territorial Sea Plan: Part Five