A Review of the Environmental Impacts for Marine and Hydrokinetic Projects to Inform Regulatory Permitting
Author: E. Ian Baring-Gould
Publisher:
Published: 2016
Total Pages: 55
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOK →"Marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies generate energy from predictable currents, tides, ocean thermal resources, and waves. With more than 50% of the American population living within 50 miles of the coast, a cost-effective MHK industry could provide a substantial amount of electricity for the nation. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Water Power Program is committed to developing and deploying innovative, water-based energy generation technologies. However, the nascent MHK industry faces challenges. The technology is in an early stage of development, and there are few devices in the water; therefore, project impacts on the environment are unknown. In addition, given that the MHK industry is global, those involved in a specific project may not be familiar with experience and insight gathered elsewhere. A “catch 22” exists in that there are uncertainties with these new, emerging technologies, and yet it is necessary to have projects in the water to be able to learn about potential project effects and the appropriate actions to minimize, avoid, or mitigate for them. Furthermore, the scientific information is still evolving as early projects, baseline and site characterization efforts, laboratory studies, modeling efforts, and studies conducted on similar structures in the marine environment contribute to the existing global knowledge base"--Executive summary.
