About
For the marine hydrokinetic (MHK) industry to succeed, it is imperative to balance MHK power generation with ecosystem and human services. MHK project developers who have successfully deployed devices have identified the costs and time associated with environmental assessment and compliance as a key challenge. Meeting the needs for site-specific environmental assessments has proved demanding for early stage developers who often do not have the resources required for a comprehensive environmental study. Sandia National Laboratories has developed a series of tools to support assessing and mitigating environmental risks associated with MHK induced changes to the physical and acoustic environment in order to reduce costs and time associated with environmental permitting and compliance. The tools allow MHK project developers to focus on navigating site- and technology-specific challenges via simulation tools that can assess, a priori, the anticipated impact each technology may have on the environment. Further, the Sandia team has worked with key stakeholders in the MHK community (e.g. regulator’s, industry, researchers, etc.) to educate them about the tools and their capabilities, enabling informed permitting/licensing discussions using foundational, quantitative evidence. Our emphasis on outreach and application of the ‘MHK-friendly’ tools helps developers determine optimal designs for MHK deployments that maximize power performance and minimize potential environmental effects.
The result is a more streamlined communication tool with which regulatory agencies, stakeholders, and industry developers can effectively evaluate permit requirements (e.g. what to study, where, and when), attracting MHK developers and investors alike