After more than a year of contemplation, the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission has issued preliminary permits to Pacific Gas and Electric Company for studies off Eureka and Fort Bragg.
The permits give PG&E exclusive rights to study large areas of the ocean for three years. At the end of that time, the non-transferrable permit now issued gives PG&E first right to obtain a FERC power license for a period as long as 50 years.
Alternative energy proponents believe the Wave Connect paired proposals would be the most important U.S. test of wave energy technology. PG&E will invite developers to each site to study different technologies under the application.
FERC refused to allow the city of Fort Bragg or the county of Mendocino to have a role in the three-year study, telling both jurisdictions to wait until an actual license is issued. The study will determine where arrays should be placed, how many can be used, what technology works and a host of other issues with local impact.
In issuing the preliminary permit, FERC completely ignores the local municipalities other than to say they protested and their applications to be involved were rejected as late.
Oddly, in the Fort Bragg permit issuance, FERC discusses at length Humboldt County”s also late comments and the timely comments of the city and county of San Francisco.
FERC notes the Mendocino County jurisdictions protested while Humboldt County, which also filed late, supports the concept.
Mendocino County has filed an appeal with FERC. Fort Bragg has yet to decide whether to do so.
The application was filed Feb. 27, 2007 and granted on March 13 of this year.
The site area off Fort Bragg ranges from one-half mile to 6 miles from shore.
“The proposed project would consist of 8 to 200 wave energy conversion buoys (WECs) having a total installed capacity of 40 megawatts, and a 40 kilovolt subsea transmission line. The project is estimated to have an average annual generation of 100 gigawatt-hours,” FERC wrote.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (which is part of the Department of Commerce) and Department of Interior made filings saying more information was needed before they could provide detailed input about environmental and commercial impacts on the ocean.
FERC discusses and rebuffs worries by the city of San Francisco and the county of Humboldt about the possibility of the ocean being used by speculators to the detriment of both the environment and alternative energy development.
“The commission believes that the application of the strict scrutiny standard of review for preliminary permits, as discussed in the Interim Statement of Policy 3 will protect against site-banking and ensure that holders of preliminary permits either diligently pursue potential projects or have their permits revoked,” FERC wrote.
Next week, William Toman, project manager of WaveConnect for PG&E, answers a variety of questions posed by reporter Frank Hartzell.
