Ocean Renewable

An Update on OREC's Activities (October 2005)

[This is an edited version of an earlier post]  Like the companies we represent, OREC has learned to operate efficiently with a limited budget.  Since we organized in May, we have secured favorable provisions for ocean energy in the Energy Policy Act  through lobbying and coordination with other groups, sponsored a teleconference to brief members and potential members on the Energy Policy Act provisions, given presentations on ocean energy at industry conferences,  created this website which has been coordinated with a weblog to update members and the public on ocean energy and give the industry international visibility and most recently, offered comments in support of legislation that may help our industry.  Yet as much progress as we've made, there's more work ahead, including most immediately, the Mineral Management Service's upcoming rulemaking to implement a leasing program for alternative energy uses on the Outer Continental Shelf as well as a stakeholders meeting on removing barriers to development of tidal, current and wave technologies.   State tuned as we continue to represent the ocean energy industry in some of the challenges that lie ahead.

OREC Comments on The National Energy Supply Diversification and Disruption Prevention Act

Here's another reason to join OREC, if you haven't already.  Last week, OREC learned about this draft legislation, National Energy Supply Diversification and Disruption Prevention Act, sponsored by House Resource Committee Chairman Pombo.  At first blush, the bill didn't seem to be much more than another piece of Katrina-motivated, feel good policy.  But upon closer review, OREC realized that the bill contained several provisions that would help the ocean energy industry.  Specifically, the bill provides for expedited environmental review of renewable energy projects (by streamlining the existing NEPA process), helps fund environmental review of renewable projects (costs which the nascent ocean energy industry cannot bear) and authorizes use of decommissioned oil and gas platforms for offshore wind and wave energy demonstration and development. 

Once OREC realized the import of the bill, we sprang into action.  Within a few hours of learning about the proposal, we'd drafted a letter to the committee with comments and an expression of support.  Today, we've learned that the bill passed in committee.   We'll continue to track the legislation as it goes through the Senate process as well.  But that's the type of service that we provide for our industry.

New Developments in Ocean Energy

One of OREC's goals is to serve as a clearinghouse for information and news on developments in the ocean energy industry.  We have been carrying out this goal primarily through postings at our sister site, LOCE Offshore Wind and Wave Energy Blog.  The weblog was just updated to reflect news from this past month, including links to articles about Scotland's desire to lead the offshore wave energy industry, the Manchester Bobber, an emerging ocean technlogy with potential application at decommissioned oil rigs and the release by ABS Energy Research of a report on ocean energy.

A Framework for Offshore Wind Development

On September 30, 2005, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the US Department of Energy and General Electric announced release of a report, entitled A Framework For Offshore Wind Development in the United States. (click on title of report to access).   The 34 page report is the product of several collaborative meetings between the report's sponsors and stakeholders from the environmental, regulatory and marine industries.  The Framework lawys out challenges and strategies for addressing them in five primary areas: (1) technology development; (2) environmental compatibility; (3)economic and financial viability; (4) regulation and government policies and (5) leadership coordination.  Though the Framework does not address ocean energy technologies, some of the matters discussed are equally applicable.