As many of you all know, I serve as Legislative and Regulatory Counsel to the Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition. So I'm pleased to report that FERC just announced in this Press Release that it plans to explore recommendations for a shorter license process first described in OREC's comments which I principally drafted. OREC's comments were filed in April 2007, in response to FERC's Notice of Inquiry on Preliminary Permits. (See also this post at OREC Website).
FERC's Press Release shows that it realizes the need for an authorization for experimental wave and tidal projects which is longer than a three year permit but shorter than a full fledged license process. And, FERC also realizes a developer should not need to spend five years to acquire a short term license that will last for five years. Thus, FERC will explore the possibility of issuing these short term experimental licenses in a fraction of the time now required for a full blown license.
Of course, many commenters recommended a shorter licensing process, a concept which is, after all, a no-brainer. But OREC realized that most environmental groups and resource agencies would not accept a shorter licensing time frame for commercial scale projects using untested technology. For that reason, OREC struck a balance by proposing a short license and short process for smaller, experimental projects. Once projects start getting into the water, developers will generate data on environmental effects, reliability and costs. And with more information, subsequent license processes for commercial scale projects will move more expeditiously.
One of the major hurdles to the advancement of wave and tidal technology is moving projects from the testing tanks to the ocean, a feat complicated by a sometimes burdensome regulatory process. OREC's solution directly tackles this particular hurdle - and it's gratifying to see that FERC is listening.
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