Advancing Offshore Wind Development in the Great Lakes
Collaborating to support research, siting and efficient permitting
AWEA Offshore Expo 2011 October 12 2011
Emily Green Great Lakes Program Director, Sierra Club
Sierra Club
• Nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization—1.4 million members and supporters
• Top priority is moving beyond coal
• Offshore wind is a top priority for utility-scale renewable energy to help fill in behind coal
Examples of collaborative efforts
• Project specific Bluewater Wind, Delaware Lake Erie Economic
Development Corporation, Ohio
• Building alliances and public/political support Virginia offshore conference NC coastal community
outreach
• Policy MD legislation Great Lakes siting and
permitting
Great Lakes Wind Resource Assessment Project
• Collaborative research led by Grand Valley State University and University of Michigan
• Funded by U.S. DOE, Michigan PSC, We Energies, University of Michigan, Sierra Club Testing and validation of LIDAR
wind assessment technology on floating platform
Acoustic monitoring for avian and bat populations
Data publicly available on the web
Great Lakes Wind Siting Project—Objective
• Enable rapid, sustainable wind development
Create an accessible, dynamic information platform for data sources relevant to offshore wind in the Great Lakes
Provide data analytics that support regional identification of wind energy zones, efficient permitting
Share knowledge between public and private stakeholders, remove opposition by increasing transparency and informing decisions
Great Lakes Wind Siting Project—Core Team
Engineering, Natural Resources and Geospatial consulting expertise to advance sustainable infrastructure - for over 130 years.
Focused on the deployment of clean renewable energy and committed to the rapid deployment of offshore renewable energy in a way that is protective of marine and coastal ecosystems. Advancing the sustainable use of land, water, energy and waste by integrating science, technology and capital into business and policy solutions.
• Engage stakeholders (throughout)
• Identify key assessment criteria for offshore wind
Regulatory review
User needs
• Research, collect and integrate data
• Develop common platform to display & analyze geospatial information for planning & permitting
• Maintain data integrity
• Apply adaptive management
Great Lakes Wind Siting Project—Approach
Offshore Wind Energy GIS (OWEGIS) Model
• Developed by the University of Maine with support from the James Sewall Company
• 650+ data layers Physical environment
Coastal hazards
Environmental impacts & wildlife
Cultural & aesthetic features
Legal, permitting boundaries
• Used to support Maine Ocean Energy Task Force selection of offshore test sites
• Supporting DeepCwind Consortium offshore wind project
• Data include public, private, and value-added proxy data
OWEGIS Assessment Criteria
Private/State Boundary State/Federal Boundary International Boundaries
Legal, Technical & Permitting Boundaries
Airports Shipping Lanes, Traffic Separations Electric Transmission System
Infrastructure & Commercial Uses
Dynamic Area Management Zones Threatened/Endangered/Depleted species Bird, bat, mammal migratory routes
Human Activity – Ecological-Environmental Impacts & Wildlife
Native Resources Shipwrecks, Lighthouses National & State Parks
Human Activity - Cultural & Aesthetic Qualities
Sightseeing Corridors Fish Collection Regions Harvesting Regions
Human Activity - Coastal Economic & Extractive Resource Uses
Military Zones Obstructions & Hazards Unexploded Ordinances, Dumping Grounds
Coastal Restrictions & Marine Hazards
Wind Resource/Mean Annual Wind Speed Bathymetry Surficial Sediments
Physical Characteristics / Physical Environment
DATA LAYERS (EXAMPLES) CATEGORY
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• US Fish & Wildlife Service • US Environmental Protection
Agency • Ohio Department of Natural
Resources • Illinois Department of Natural
Resources
• University of Michigan • The Nature Conservancy • Council of Great Lakes
Governors • Great Lakes and St. Lawrence
Cities Initiative • Great Lakes Commission • Great Lakes Wind Collaborative • Wind developers
Great Lakes Wind Siting Project—Outreach
Stakeholders engaged to date include:
Data and Platform Integration
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NOAA/Michigan Lakebed Alteration Tool
Data and Platform Integration
Ohio DNR Favorability Analysis
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Management
Discussion
• Great Lakes Offshore Wind Information System Based on proven OWEGIS data platform.
Demonstrated interest, use and collaboration with governmental, NGO, and private sector stakeholders in the Great Lakes.
Outcomes:
- Reduce the barriers to investing in renewable energy projects.
- Support sustainable renewable energy siting decisions.
- Support regional collaboration around wind energy areas, efficient permitting.
- Build public and political support for offshore wind.
One piece of a much larger puzzle, but a good early step to help support long term progress.
Advancing Offshore Wind Development
Please join us or provide feedback on any of
these projects.
Emily Green
(608) 257-4994