The agenda for the two day workshop sponsored by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 

The two-day training session will include presentations by experts from NREL on offshore wind and marine hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies and will also include industry panel discussions. The first day of the training, May 21, 2013, will focus on offshore wind technology and the second day, May 22, 2013, will focus on MHK technology. 

The two-day training session will include presentations by experts from NREL on offshore wind and marine hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies and will also include industry panel discussions. The first day of the training, May 21, 2013, will focus on offshore wind technology and the second day, May 22, 2013, will focus on MHK technology. 

As part of the Territorial Sea Plan amendment process, Oregon adopted a visual resources management system.  That system included the establishment of a visual resources baseline of the Territorial Sea seascape, where 143 locations were surveyed during the scenic quality evaluation process, for use in determining visual resource class values.  Those values, applied to their associated viewsheds and adopted standards will help Oregonians understand the potential impacts of any new proposed development.  This report documents the Visual Resources Inventory Assessment baseline at the time the Territorial Sea Plan Part Five was amended.

Draft agenda for the Ocean Policy Advisory Council meeting on December 4th, 2012.

Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management funded study on the Identification of Outer Continental Shelf Renewable Energy Space-Use Conflicts and Analysis of Potential Mitigation Measures.

The broad purpose of this study was to begin to fill this gap by (1) identifying potential space-use conflicts between OCS renewable energy development and other uses of the ocean environment, and (2) recommending measures that BOEM can implement in order to promote avoidance or mitigation of such conflicts, thereby facilitating responsible and efficient development of OCS renewable energy resources. The result is a document intended to serve as a desktop resource that BOEM can use to inform its decision making as the agency carries out its statutory and regulatory responsibilities.

This document was prepared by the Oregon Dept. of Energy and outlines the multiple reasons why the state is encouraging this industry. The marine renewable energy community offers economic and energy opportunities for the state of Oregon. Through responsible development and research centers, the state believes that marine energy – particularly wave energy – could be important to Oregon’s future. Wave energy generation can support a stable, healthy electric grid, future electricity load growth, sustainability goals and jobs on Oregon’s coast.

Offshore renewable energy (ORE) development is the construction and operation of one or more devices designed to harness power from the marine environment (wind, tidal, and wave power considered here), and includes any necessary infrastructure, including subsea cables, the vessels necessary to construct or install an ORE development, and the footprint of a project. The motivation for this work was to provide BOEM and the nation with a comprehensive, yet flexible and tested means of making efficient and balanced assessments regarding the impacts of a broad range of ORE projects on marine and human ecosystems. With these tools, BOEM will have the capacity to proactively and comprehensively manage ocean renewable energy resources and implement adaptive management techniques for the benefit of natural and human ecosystems and the nation. The goal of this particular project was to develop and test standardized protocols for baseline studies and monitoring for the collection and comparison of scientifically valid and comparable data for specific ORE issues, which seamlessly integrate with a newly designed conceptual framework and approach for cumulative environmental impact evaluation of ORE development.

Produced by the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department for use by the Territorial Sea Plan Advisory Committee and the Ocean Policy Advisory Council in the conduct of the Territorial Sea Plan Amendment Process.

The Draft Agenda for the 4th BOEM Oregon Renewable Energy Task Force meeting on Monday, September 24, 2012 in Portland, Oregon.

The meeting will be held at the Courtyard Marriott Portland City Center in the Sequoia Ballroom, 550 SW Oak Street, Portland, Oregon, with registration beginning at 9:00 a.m.  We will be holding a public Q & A session with BOEM staff at 4:30 p.m. following the intergovernmental meeting.