A pact to oversee wave power development off the coast of Oregon has been signed by the state and the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
FERC said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was needed to coordinate procedures and schedules for review of wave energy projects.
In mid-2007, FERC announced a proposal to streamline ocean energy licence applications. The MoU is the result of public hearing and discussions regarding the initiative to shorten the permitting process for pilot schemes of 5MW or less.
Under the MoU, Oregon supports FERC’s procedures for a shorter-term, experimental licence system to ensure environmental, economic and social protections, the federal agency said in a statement.
In particular, provisions in the MoU will see them: notify one another of potential applicants to enable coordinated reviews of projects; agree scheduling for early processing of applications; identify potential issues in applications, and information needed.
In addition, the state is to prepare a plan to site wave energy projects off the coast and FERC is to review projects.
Further, any licensed project issued by FERC, including pilot schemes, has to include fisheries and wildlife mitigation measures.
Late last year, wave energy research off Oregon included Finavera’s converter, AquaBuOY 2.0. It was the forerunner for a planned 100MW cluster scheme nearby.