Andrea E. Copping

A Modeling Study of the Potential Water Quality Impacts from In-Stream Tidal Energy Extraction

To assess the effects of tidal energy extraction on water quality in a simplified estuarine system, which consists of a tidal bay connected to the coastal ocean through a narrow channel where energy is extracted using in-stream tidal turbines, a three-dimensional coastal ocean model with built-in tidal turbine and water quality modules was applied. The effects of tidal energy extraction on water quality were examined for two energy extraction scenarios as compared with the baseline condition. It was found, in general, that the environmental impacts associated with energy extraction depend highly on the amount of power extracted from the system. Model results indicate that, as a result of energy extraction from the channel, the competition between decreased flushing rates in the bay and increased vertical mixing in the channel directly affects water quality responses in the bay. The decreased flushing rates tend to cause a stronger but negative impact on water quality. On the other hand, the increased vertical mixing could lead to higher bottom dissolved oxygen at times. As the first modeling effort directly aimed at examining the impacts of tidal energy extraction on estuarine water quality, this study demonstrates that numerical models can serve as a very useful tool for this purpose. However, more careful efforts are warranted to address system-specific environmental issues in real-world, complex estuarine systems.

Environmental Risk Evaluation System—an Approach to Ranking Risk of Ocean Energy Development on Coastal and Estuarine Environments

The pressure to develop new and renewable forms of energy to combat climate change, ocean acidification, and energy security has encouraged exploration of sources of power generation from the ocean. One of the major challenges to deploying these devices is discerning the likely effects those devices and associated systems will have on the marine environment. Determining the effects each device design and deployment system may have on specific marine animals and habitats, estimating the extent of those effects upon the resiliency of the ecosystem, and designing appropriate mitigation measures to protect against degradation all pose substantial challenges. With little direct observational or experimental data available on the effects of wave, tidal, and offshore wind devices on marine animals, habitats, and ecosystem processes, researchers have developed the Environmental Risk Evaluation System (ERES) to provide preliminary assessments of these risks and to act as a framework for integrating future data on direct interactions of ocean energy devices with the environment. Using biophysical risk factors, interactions of marine animals and seabirds, with ocean energy devices and systems, are examined; potential effects on habitats, and changes in processes such as sedimentation patterns and water quality, are also considered. The risks associated with specific interactions for which data are more readily available are explored including interactions between ocean energy devices and surface vessels, toxicity of anti-biofouling paints, and potential for harm to animals from turbine blade strike. ERES also examines the effect that environmental regulations have on the deployment and operation of ocean energy devices.

Assessment of Strike of Adult Killer Whales by an OpenHydro Tidal Turbine Blade

Report to DOE on an analysis to determine the effects of a potential impact to an endangered whale from tidal turbines proposed for deployment in Puget Sound.

Assessing the effects of marine and hydrokinetic energy development on marine and estuarine resources

The worlds oceans and estuaries offer enormous potential to meet the nations growing demand for energy. The use of marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) devices to harness the power of wave and tidal energy could contribute significantly toward meeting federaland state-mandated renewable energy goals while supplying a substantial amount of clean energy to coastal communities. Locations along the eastern and western coasts of the United States between 40° and 70° north latitude are ideal for MHK deployment, and recent estimates of wave and current energy resource potential in the US suggest that up to 400 terawatt hours could be generated, representing about 10% of national energy demand. Because energy derived from wave and tidal devices is highly predictable, their inclusion in our energy portfolio could help balance available sources of energy production, including hydroelectric, coal, nuclear, wind, solar, geothermal, and others. As an emerging industry, MHK energy developers face many challenges associated with the siting, permitting, construction, and operation of pilot and commercial-scale facilities. As the industry progresses, it will be necessary not only to secure financial support and develop robust technologies capable of efficient, continued operation in harsh environments, but also to implement effective monitoring programs to evaluate long-term effects of device operation and assure resource agencies and members of the public that potential environmental impacts are understood and can be addressed. At this time, little is known about the environmental effects of MHK energy generation at pilotor full-scale operational scenarios. Potential effects could include changes to aquatic species behavior from exposure to electromagnetic fields or operational noise; physical interaction of marine mammals, fish, and invertebrates with operating devices or mooring cables; or changes to beach characteristics and water quality from long-term deployment of devices in coastal locations. This lack of knowledge creates a high degree of uncertainty that affects the actions of regulatory agencies, influences the opinions and concerns of stakeholder groups, affects the commitment of energy project developers and investors, and ultimately, the solvency of the industry. To address the complexity of environmental issues associated with MHK energy, PNNL has received support from the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Waterpower Program to develop research and development that draws on the knowledge of the industry, regulators, and stakeholders. Initial research has focused on 1) the development of a knowledge management database and related environmental risk evaluation system, 2) the use of hydrodynamic models to assess the effects of energy removal on coastal systems, 3) the development of laboratory and mesocosm experiments to evaluate the effects of EMF and noise on representative marine and estuarine species, and 4) collaborative interaction with regulators and other stakeholders to facilitate ocean energy devices, including participation in coastal and marine spatial planning activities. In this paper, we describe our approach for initial laboratory investigations to evaluate potential environmental effects of EMFs on aquatic resources. Testing will be conducted on species that are a) easily procured and cultured, b) ecologically, commercially, recreationally or culturally valuable, and c) reasonable surrogates for threatened or endangered species. Biological endpoints of interest are those that provide compelling evidence of magnetic field detection and have a nexus to individual, community, or population-level effects. Through laboratory, mesocosm, and limited field testing, we hope to reduce the uncertainly associated with the development of ocean energy resources, and gain regulatory and stakeholder acceptance. We believe this is the best approach for moving the science forward and provides the best opportunity for successfully applying this technology toward meeting our countrys renewable energy needs. During the project, the team will work closely with two other national laboratories (Sandia and Oak Ridge), the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center at University of Washington and Oregon State University, and Pacific Energy Ventures.

Special Issue: Renewable Ocean Energy Development and the Environment

Renewable energy harvested from ocean waves, tides, and winds as part of a portfolio of reliable low-carbon energy sources to address climate change and energy security is under consideration by many nations. Engineering designs and characterization of the harvestable resource are moving forward, particularly in Europe, Asia, and North America. At the same time, stakeholders and regulators have expressed the need to understand potential effects on marine animals, habitats, and ecosystem processes. These potential effects are prompting researchers and resource managers to examine interactions of species and ocean areas with energy conversion devices. This volume demonstrates the breadth of disciplines engaged in the quest to understand potential effects and the proactive efforts to develop these new sources of energy to the world, in a responsible manner.

Applying risk science and stakeholder engagement to overcome environmental barriers to marine and hydrokinetic energy projects

The production of electricity from the moving waters of the ocean has the potential to be a viable addition to the portfolio of renewable energy sources worldwide. The marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) industry faces many hurdles, including technology development, challenges of offshore deployments, and financing; however, the barrier most commonly identified by industry, regulators, and stakeholders is the uncertainty surrounding potential environmental effects of devices placed in the water and the permitting processes associated with real or potential impacts.

Preliminary Screening Analysis for the Environmental Risk Evaluation System: Task 2.1.1: Evaluating Effects of Stressors – Fiscal Year 2010 Progress Report: Environmental Effects of Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy

Possible environmental effects of marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) energy development are not well understood, and yet regulatory agencies are required to make decisions in spite of substantial uncertainty about environmental impacts and their long-term effects. An understanding of risk associated with likely interactions between MHK installations and aquatic receptors, including animals, habitats, and ecosystems, can help reduce the level of uncertainty and focus regulatory actions and scientific studies on interactions of most concern. As a first step in developing the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Environmental Risk Evaluation System (ERES), PNNL scientists conducted a preliminary risk screening analysis on three initial MHK cases - a tidal project in Puget Sound using Open Hydro turbines, a wave project off the coast of Oregon using Ocean Power Technologies point attenuator buoys, and a riverine current project in the Mississippi River using Free Flow turbines. Through an iterative process, the screening analysis revealed that top-tier stressors in all three cases were the effects of the dynamic physical presence of the device (e.g., strike), accidents, and effects of the static physical presence of the device (e.g., habitat alteration). Receptor interactions with these stressors at the four highest tiers of risk were dominated by marine mammals (cetaceans and pinnipeds) and birds (diving and non-diving); only the riverine case (Free Flow) included different receptors in the third tier (fish) and the fourth tier (benthic invertebrates). Although this screening analysis provides a preliminary analysis of vulnerability of environmental receptors to stressors associated with MHK installations, probability analysis, especially of risk associated with chemical toxicity and accidents such as oil spills or lost gear, will be necessary to further understand high-priority risks. Subject matter expert review of this process and results is required and is planned for the first quarter of FY11. Once expert review is finalized, the screening analysis phase of ERES will be complete.

Sharing Information on Environmental Effects of Wind Energy Development: WREN Hub

As the need for clean low carbon renewable energy increases worldwide, wind energy is becoming established in many nations and is under consideration in many more. Technologies that make land-based and offshore wind feasible, and resource characterizations of available wind, have been developed to facilitate the advancement of the wind industry. However, there is a continuing need to also evaluate and better understand the legal and social acceptability associated with potential effects on the environment. Uncertainty about potential environmental effects continues to complicate and slow permitting (consenting) processes in many nations. Research and monitoring of wildlife interactions with wind turbines, towers, and transmission lines has been underway for decades. However, the results of those studies are not always readily available to all parties, complicating analyses of trends and inflection points in effects analyses. Sharing of available information on environmental effects of land-based and offshore wind energy development has the potential to inform siting and permitting/consenting processes. WREN Hub is an online knowledge management system that seeks to collect, curate, and disseminate scientific information on potential effects of wind energy development. WREN Hub acts as a platform to bring together the wind energy community, providing a collaborative space and an unbiased information source for researchers, regulators, developers, and key stakeholders to pursue accurate predictions of potential effects of wind energy on wildlife, habitats, and ecosystem processes. In doing so, WREN Hub ensures that key scientific uncertainties are identified, tagged for strategic research inquiry, and translated into effective collaborative projects.

Coupled Modeling of Hydrodynamics and Sound in Coastal Ocean for Renewable Ocean Energy Development

The rapid growth of renewable offshore energy development has raised concerns that underwater noise from construction and operation of offshore devices may interfere with communication of marine animals. An underwater sound model was developed to simulate sound propagation from marine and hydrokinetic energy (MHK) devices or offshore wind (OSW) energy platforms. Finite difference methods were developed to solve the 3-D Helmholtz equation for sound propagation in the coastal environment. A 3-D sparse matrix solver with complex coefficients was formed for solving the resulting acoustic pressure field. The complex shifted Laplacian preconditioner (CSLP) method was applied to solve the matrix system iteratively with Message Passing Interface (MPI) parallelization using a high-performance cluster. The sound model was then coupled with the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM) for simulating sound propagation generated by human activities, such as construction of OSW turbines or tidal stream turbine operations, in a range-dependent setting. As a proof of concept, the validation of the solver is tested with an ideal case against two other methods, and its application is then presented for two coastal wedge problems. This sound model can be useful for evaluating impacts on marine mammals due to deployment of MHK devices and OSW energy platforms.

The Contribution of Environmental Siting and Permitting Requirements to the Cost of Energy for Wave Energy Devices

Responsible deployment of marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) devices in estuaries, coastal areas, and major rivers requires that biological resources and ecosystems be protected through siting and permitting (consenting) processes. Scoping appropriate deployment locations, collecting pre-installation (baseline) and post-installation data all add to the cost of developing MHK projects, and hence to the cost of energy. Under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientists have developed logic models that describe studies and processes for environmental siting and permitting. Each study and environmental permitting process has been assigned a cost derived from existing and proposed tidal, wave, and riverine MHK projects. Costs have been developed at the pilot scale and for commercial arrays for a surge wave energy converter