1

An Update of Offshore Wind Energy Planning and the Use of Spatial Data on the West Coast

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Frank PendletonBiologist / GIS Coordinator

Western Electric Coordinating Council - Environmental Data Work Group (EDWG) November 25, 2019

What We Will Cover

https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/energy/developing-verifying-deepwater-offshore-wind

American Society of Mechanical EngineersVolturnUS University of Maine

BOEM Overview1

Status of BOEM Activities2

OSW in California3

Review a few Datasets4

2

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

BOEM Overview:• Department of Interior (DOI)

o Oversees development of energy and mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

• Jurisdiction

o 3 to 200 nautical miles (nm) from coastline

o Excludes National Marine Sanctuaries, National Wildlife Refuges, Parks and Monuments

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

Environmental:• Science and Analysis

Leasing:

• Types of Leases

• Commercial, limited and research leases

• Competitive and non-competitive process

• How to obtain an OCS lease?o Submit an unsolicited lease request

o Respond to a BOEM notice in the Federal Register

Pacific OCS Renewable Energy ActivitiesOregon State UniversityWave Energy Test Site

Humboldt Call Area

Morro Bay Call Area

Diablo Canyon Call Area

Research Lease

Competitive Leases

6

California Wind Energy Call Areas

Intergovernmental Task Force

Call for Information & Nominations (Call)

Area Identification

Environmental Reviews

Proposed Sale Notice (PSN)

Final Sale Notice (FSN)

Auction

Issue Lease(s)

Site Characterization

(i.e. Geophysical & Geological Surveys, Biological Surveys, etc.)

Site Assessment Plan (SAP)

(i.e. Meteorological buoy or tower)

Construction & Operations Plan (COP)

Facility Design Report (FDR)

Fabrication and Installation Report (FIR)

Decommissioning

OCS Renewable Energy Authorization Process

Planning & Analysis Leasing Site

AssessmentConstruction

& Operations

2 Years 1-2 Years 5 Years 2 Years (+25)

Offshore Wind Technologies

Illustration by Joshua Bauer, NREL8

Why Floating OSW?

9

The West is Deep!

The West is Deep!

10

Technology: Growth of the Wind Turbine

11

Prototypes

University of Maine20 kW Turbine Maine USA2013

Principle Power 2.0 MW Turbine Portugal 2011 - 2016 17 m waves / 60 knot winds

Statoil (Equinor)2.3 MW Turbine Norway2009

12

Commercial Demonstration Project

• Hywind– 2017– Scotland– 5 Turbines– 6 MW (30 total)– 20,000 homes

http://www.businessinsider.com/hywind-scotland-glimpse-into-worlds-first-floating-wind-farm-2017-8/#here-are-the-experimental-turbines-that-will-form-the-floating-wind-farm-1From: Business Insider 8/3/1713

Where Can OSW Go?• BOEM Jurisdiction

• Federal Waters• 3 nmi – 200 nmi

• ≈215,000 sq miles

100%

Percent of Federal Waters

Federal Waters(215,000 sq mi)

• Depth• > 1300 m

• 34,000 sq miles remaining

16%

84%

Percent of Federal Waters

Federal WatersDepth > 1300 m(34,000 sq mi)

Rest of EEZ

Where Can’t OSW Go?

• Wind Speed• > 7 m/s

• 19,000 sq miles

Where Can’t OSW Go?

9%

91%

Percent of Federal WatersFederal WatersDepth > 1100 mWinds > 7 m/s(19,000 sq mi)

Rest of EEZ

• National Marine Sanctuaries• Not BOEM Jurisdiction

• 14,000 sq miles remaining

Where Can’t OSW Go?

6%

94%

Percent of Federal WatersFederal WatersDepth > 1300 mWinds > 7 m/sNo Sanctuaries(14,000 sq mi)

Rest of EEZ

• Cables

Where Can’t OSW Go?

18

• Near a Grid Connection• Morro Bay• Diablo Canyon• Eureka

Where Can OSW Go?

19

• CA Call Areas

Where Can OSW Go?

20

Where Can OSW Go? • CA Call Areas

21

Where Can OSW Go? • CA Call Areas

22

Data!

https://coastalmap.marine.usgs.gov/GISdata/regional/westcoast/bathymetry/caorwall.htm23

• Review a few Datasets• Bathymetry• Wind• Vessel Traffic• Birds• Marine Mammals

• CA OSW Energy Gateway• DataBasin

Bathymetry

• USGS Data• 100 m contours

https://coastalmap.marine.usgs.gov/GISdata/regional/westcoast/bathymetry/caorwall.htm24

Slope• NOAA DEMs• ≈ 80 m pixels

https://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/bathymetry/?layers=dem25

EXPRESS• Expanding Pacific Research and

Exploration of Submerged Systems

• NOAA, MBARI, USGS, SeaGrant, GFOE, BOEM

• Seafloor Mapping• Bathymetry (depth)• Habitats / Ecosystems• Hazards

• Benthic Webinarhttps://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/19express/logs/oct16/oct16.htmlwww.usgs.gov/centers/pcmsc/science/express-expanding-pacific-research-and-exploration-submerged-systems?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

26

Wind Speed• National Renewable

Energy Laboratory (NREL)

• Many Data Sources

• Modeled to Provide consistent dataset for USA

27

• NREL Wind Prospector

Wind Speed Data

https://maps.nrel.gov/wind-prospector/28

• Hourly Wind Speed• By Month (Jan)

Wind Speed Data

29

Hourly Wind Speed

“What’s the average wind speed at 2:00 in January?”

30

Central California Humboldt

Annual AverageWindSpeed

31

• Spring 2020

• 1 Year

• Wind Profile

32

Pacific Northwest National Lab

PNNL Lidar Buoys

Illustration PNNL 33

Other Factors

Vessel Traffic*Marine Mammals*Birds*Fish & Fisheries*Benthics*ArchaeologyViewshedDepartment of DefenseEtc…

34 * https://www.boem.gov/regions/pacific-ocs-region/environmental-science/west-coast-renewable-energy-science-exchange

• Automatic Identification System (AIS)– Air Traffic Control for Ships

• 25,000,000 points / month– MairneCadastre.gov/ais

• Vessel ID, Date, Type, Size, Status…

35

Vessel Traffic

AllShips

2011 2017

36

All Ships2017

37

ShipType

Cargo Tanker

38

Bird Data• Survey Type

– Observers (Ships)– Observers (Aerial)– Aerial Photos

• Models– Habitat Maps

© David Pereksta

39

Bird Data

• PaCSEA– USGS, BOEM– Aerial Surveys– 2011 and 2012– 6 Surveys

40

Seabird Resources

41

• Vulnerability Index– USGS / BOEM– Conservation Status, Behavior,

Flight Height…

• Bird Webinar Jan 8th 2020

Marine Mammals• Whales and Dolphins

– NOAA – Surveys July – Dec

• 1991, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2005, 2008

Becker et al (2016) Moving Towards Dynamic Ocean Management: How Well Do Modeled Ocean Products Predict Species Distribution. Remote Sensing.42

Marine Mammals• Fin Whale

(Summer / Fall)

Becker et al (2016) Moving Towards Dynamic Ocean Management: How Well Do Modeled Ocean Products Predict Species Distribution. Remote Sensing.43

Marine Mammals

• Humpback Whale (Summer / Fall)

Becker et al (2016) Moving Towards Dynamic Ocean Management: How Well Do Modeled Ocean Products Predict Species Distribution. Remote Sensing.44

DataBasinCalifornia Offshore Wind Energy Gateway

https://databasin.org/services/gateways/list45

Databasin.org

DataBasinCalifornia Offshore Wind Energy Gateway

https://databasin.org/services/gateways/list46

Databasin.org

DataBasinCalifornia Offshore Wind Energy Gateway

https://databasin.org/services/gateways/list47

Databasin.org

DataBasinCalifornia Offshore Wind Energy Gateway

https://databasin.org/services/gateways/list48

Databasin.org

Other Portals

49

MarineCadastrehttps://marinecadastre.gov/

West Coast Ocean Data Portalhttp://portal.westcoastoceans.org/

Maps bring data into your soul…“trog luddite”

frank.pendleton@boem.gov

50