OES Annual Report 2012 - Ocean Energy Systems

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3.2 / ANNEX IV: ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
AND MONITORING EFFORTS
Operating Agent
Michael Reed (USA Delegate), United States Department of Energy (DOE), USA
Duration
Annex IV - Assessment of Environmental Effects and Monitoring Efforts for Ocean Wave, Tidal and Current
Energy Systems started in January 2010 and is due to be completed in March 2013.
Participants
OPERATING AGENT
(partners)
TECHNICAL
CONSULTANTS
MEMBER COUNTRIES
United States: Department of Energy
(Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
(Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)
(National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (US)
Wave Energy Centre (Portugal)
University of Plymouth (UK)
Canada , Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Spain
Objectives
A wide range of different ocean energy technologies and devices are currently in development around
the world. However, data that do exist on the possible environmental effects of these technologies are
dispersed amongst numerous countries, researchers and developers. The objectives of Annex IV are to: 1)
expand baseline knowledge of environment effects and, particularly, environmental monitoring methods,
2) ensure that this information is widely accessible, 3) highlight any ongoing mitigation strategies, and 4)
foster efficient and timely government oversight and public acceptance of ocean energy development. To
accomplish these objectives, Annex IV member countries will collaborate to create a searchable, publically
available database of research and monitoring information to evaluate environmental effects. The database
will include existing syntheses, ongoing monitoring and research projects, case study reports compiled as
part of this effort, and select relevant pieces of analogous information from other ocean industries. Annex
IV will address ocean wave, tidal and ocean current energy development, but not ocean thermal energy
conversion (OTEC) or salinity gradients. The construction of the database will be followed by a final report
with a worldwide focus on monitoring, collection of data and research occurring for specific high-priority
issues of concern. This final report will draw largely on information from the database, and from experts’
workshops held as part of the Annex IV project.
Achievements and Progress in 2012
During the first half of 2012, the project’s technical consultants heavily focused on further distribution and
collection of metadata input forms regarding research and monitoring of ocean energy environmental
effects. Metadata forms were also widely distributed by member country representatives, and dozens
of forms were collected. During this time Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) integrated this new
information into the database developed during 2011 (Tethys), performed an external review of database
functionality, and began analyzing content to outline the final report.
ANNUAL
REPORT 2012