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Stephanie Thornton is the Executive Director of the Oregon Wave Energy Trust (OWET). She joined OWET in April 2008. Prior to joining OWET, she served as a program manager with Portland General Electric and as Chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Sanctuary Program. She also served as the Executive Director of the Coastal Resources Center, Executive Director of Humboldt Fishermen's Management Association in California and as a Commissioner on the Pacific Marine Fisheries Commission. |
Could you give a brief summary of OWET's objectives and main projects under way?
The mission of the Oregon Wave Energy Trust (OWET) is to become a central entity for wave energy development in Oregon. Guided by its stakeholders, the Oregon Wave Energy Trust builds and shares the expertise needed to support and accelerate the responsible development of the state’s emerging wave energy industry.
In pursuit of this mission, OWET carries out programmatic activities in the following four areas:
· Stakeholder Community Education and Engagement – building positive support for the wave energy industry
· Market Development – creating an efficient marketplace for the wave energy industry
· Policy and Regulatory Planning – developing a policy and regulatory framework to advance the industry
· Research – implementing environmental and applied research projects to answer key questions leading to a reduction in barriers to wave energy development
What are the research areas that Oregon focuses in general?
Within its Research Program, OWET has four (4) primary categories of ongoing research projects (please note that OWET has additional ongoing projects underway within their Stakeholder and Community Engagement, Market Development and Policy program areas):
1. Social Dimension of Wave Energy. This research program involves a cadre of social scientists who are studying wave energy in terms of the human dimension among four integrated research projects. These research projects are being conducted in partnership with Oregon State University.
a) The Socioeconomic and Sociopolitical Influences on Wave Energy Permitting and Planning;
b) A Comparison of Wave Energy Generation to other forms of Electricity Generation;
c) Ocean Zoning in Oregon and Around the World: An assessment of best legal and regulatory practices for permitting and managing wave energy in Oregon
d) A Stock Take of Perceptions of, and Effects on, Communities of Place and Communities of Interest.
2. Economic Assessment of the Wave Energy Industry. This study is designed to estimate the potential net economic impacts of the wave energy industry in Oregon and to address the potential impacts over time as the wave energy industry grows and matures. The economic impacts will be estimated at three projected stages of industry development, including concept, pilot and commercialization stages. In addition to the wave energy industry, the economic impact study will also incorporate an assessment of the fishing industry as comparison.
3. Environmental Research Studies. Through recommendation from OWET’s Ecological Committee, 3 major environmental studies will be implemented during 2009:
a) Cumulative Effects Framework (e.g. a means for assessing the environmental and socio-economic impacts of multiple wave energy projects)
b) Seabird assessment – this will be a baseline study for the Reedsport, Oregon, Wave Energy project
c) Fish assessment – this is also a baseline study for the Reedsport, Oregon, Wave Energy Project
4. Applied Research Studies. Through recommendation from OWET’s R&D Committee, 5 major studies will be implemented during 2009:
a) Sediment Transport
b) Electromagnetic Measurement Methods
c) Anchoring and Mooring Alternatives
d) Acoustic Measurement Methods
e) Acoustic Deterrence Device Analysis
After several years of some institutional interest, wave energy in the US is now on its way to serious commercial interest. In Europe this has existed for a longer time, however the breakthrough is yet to come. How do you see the main differences in market conditions between Europe and the US in the past, at present and in future?
My observation is that, in the recent past through today, the main difference between Europe and the US is in its respective approach to renewable energy – that difference being a top-down vs. bottom-up approach. It seems to me that Europe has taken the top-down approach – that is, country governments and the European Union recognized long ago the importance of becoming less dependent on fossil fuels and the importance of moving towards renewable energy. With this vision, governments in Europe provided funding and other incentives or support to nurture the growth of the renewable energy industry – providing top-down leadership to advance renewable energy in their countries.
Alternatively, the US economy is heavily fossil fuel dependent and up until the recent election of President Obama, the former Bush Administration was favorable to the oil industry. Furthermore, in the US, to effect new thinking and change, usually requires a bottoms-up approach. That is, new ideas begin with a handful of visionary leaders, who mobilize others to share their views and momentum builds. Change may begin at a local or state government level – as witnessed by how the State of Oregon is leading the US development for wave energy – but as interest grows it moves to the national or federal spotlight. It is the bottom-up approach that makes the investment in stakeholder consultation a fundamental requirement of how we do business.
Looking ahead to the incoming new Administration, I am very optimistic about the future of ocean renewable energy (and for the renewable energy in general). One of the top priorities for the Obama Administration is a serious commitment, financial investment and support for advancing renewable energy in this county, including development of ocean renewable. With this level of support, we are optimistic that the market condition for renewable wave energy will accelerate.
Can you give some indication on US investment plans and incentives in general for the near future? Who are the benefiting parties?
As I mentioned above, our expectation is that US investment and incentives in developing wave energy will increase under the Obama administration. It is our hope that the US Department of Energy, and other federal agencies will begin investing more actively in the development of wave energy. We believe that research completed to date in the US and around the world provides a strong rationale for such an increase. State and local governments, businesses and developers and local communities will all benefit if the new administration includes wave energy as part of President Obama’s renewable energy plan.
You have done significant work on public perception and stakeholders' consultation. How would you summarise the attitude of general population, fishermen and surfers towards wave energy? Do you see significant differences between uninformed and well-informed stakeholder groups/public?
I would characterize the general attitude of our diverse stakeholders as “cautiously optimistic but concerned”. The prevailing concerns voiced by stakeholders are the potential impact to the fishing industry, potential concerns about declines in recreational tourism and potential negative impacts of wave energy devices on the environment. These are all important questions that OWET is working to develop answers to through its research programs (previously described).
Better-informed stakeholders foresee the economic potential of wave energy, especially in terms of job creation for coastal communities. Working with all stakeholders to increase their understanding of the potential benefits of wave energy in Oregon, given Oregon’s unique position as one of a handful of locations in the world with the assets necessary to advance the wave energy industry, remains a top priority for OWET.
What is the general perception of wave energy transmitted in the media?
News media interest ranges from proving the technology to environmental impacts, regulatory hurdles and job creation. We have work to do in educating reporters, just as we do with other stakeholder groups.
