2022 SOST Opportunities and Actions Roundtable Submissions
Summary: The development of offshore wind (OSW) energy in the United States represents an unprecedented opportunity for climate mitigation and the New Blue Economy, but introduces new challenges. We propose that a consolidated and cost-effective public-private system of next generation integrated ocean observation technologies would support sustainable development of OSW and could be achieved through a two-pronged approach.
First, a series of coordination workshops hosted by the SOST and the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) can evaluate opportunities to integrate federal, state, private, and non-profit resources and priorities into a strategic initiative for ocean observations in geographic areas of OSW development. IOOS convenes 17 federal agencies, many of which have responsibilities related to OSW development, and therefore presents a ready-made partnership for generating clear, comprehensive, and coordinated federal guidance on building and managing ocean observing systems. A well-designed ocean observing system can support OSW data needs and other priorities including mariner safety, weather forecasting, spill response, fisheries and protected species management, and tracking climate signals.
Second, a pilot project that integrates existing observing assets and data managed under IOOS and other federal programs with new technologies to be deployed in and around Ørsted’s offshore wind farm facilities can test implementation of this strategic initiative, consistent with the objectives of IOOS and the NOAA-Ørsted MOA. This pilot with a single developer can establish a proof of concept for cooperative system design, implementation, and data sharing that can be expanded to an industry-wide collaboration spanning the entire MA/RI WEA, and in doing so create an important model and precedent for OSW development nationwide. New ocean observing activities that support sustainable development of OSW will also have broader societal benefits, particularly generating and applying oceanographic data to improve our understanding of climate-driven changes in the ocean and teasing those apart from changes due to offshore development.
Consequently, the development of OSW in the U.S. presents both a pressing need and an unparalleled opportunity for cross governmental and industry collaboration, and for pioneering public-private partnerships to meet a diverse array of agency, industry, and scientific needs, at scale, in ways that are coordinated and cost-effective. This work will clearly advance the President's 30GW by 2030 goal and contribute to numerous ocean science initiatives including the SOST National Strategy for Ocean Mapping, Exploration and Characterization, DOE Offshore Wind Energy Strategies, and NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy.
Sector: Industry, NGO
Organization: NERACOOS
POC: Jake Kritzer, jake@neracoos.org
Other Contacts: Ed LeBlanc, Ørsted, EDWLE@orsted.com