Environmental planning and management for OTEC pilot projects

Abstract

Ocean thermal energy conversion is the hydropower technology of converting the temperature differential between tropical ocean surface and deep waters into electricity. The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act was signed into law in 1980, assigning a leadership and oversight role to NOAA. In 1981 NOAA promulgated regulations for the licensing of a commercial OTEC facility; interest in this technology waned and the regulations were rescinded in the 1990s. The high costs of hydrocarbon fuels and global environmental concerns awakened a new focus on OTEC and other renewable energy technologies that do not emit CO2. This new focus brings a need for new licensing regulations. We also need reliable value-added environmental impact procedures, not only to comply with new licensing regulations, but also to support OTEC Pilot Project design and implementation. Impact analysis studies and field surveys completed in the 1970s and 80s provide a sound basis for the evaluation of potential environmental effects and causes, with a focus on the obvious, first order sources of potential impacts of OTEC. These issues include the intake, transport and discharge of large quantities of seawater, occupying an ocean location with a large industrial platform anchored to the bottom and power transmission via subsea cabling to suitable shore locations. Current plans for satisfying the requirements of modern impact analysis and permitting include the development of new computer simulations of intakes and discharges, laboratory testing of candidate intake designs, multi-year field surveys using modern oceanographic tools, and extensive monitoring of demonstration plant operations. A progressive approach to environmental planning is presented to support OTEC technology development. This approach creates a structure to support the assessment of potential environmental impacts concurrently with the development of design criteria. The structure provides for a systematic flagging of potentially conflicting environmental and design performance criteria. Conflict resolution at this stage of early planning and design involves understanding the project scope, understanding environmental impact cause and effect relationships, evaluating existing environmental impact data and recognizing data gaps. This approach will generate project-specific baseline information that can be used to complete environmental compliance procedures required before project implementation. The anticipated result is success for OTEC Pilot Project developers coupled with effective and efficient environmental impact management.