Making Waves "• FERC Turns Attention to Ocean Power
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has put the spotlight on a lesser known but potentially valuable source of renewable energy by announcing an interim policy and inviting public comment on how to process preliminary permit applications for ocean energy: wave, current, and instream hydropower technologies. The Commissioners expressed interest in promoting these technologies, but also concern about their reliability, environmental and safety implications, and commercial viability.
While various other countries, including the
With more parties seeking preliminary permits and licenses, FERC chose to announce an interim policy to give applications strict scrutiny while seeking comment on alternative approaches, including moderate scrutiny or declining altogether to issue permits. The stricter approach entails more scrutiny of permit applications and narrowing the scope of any permits that are granted, and is intended to promote competition and prevent applicants from site-banking, that is, reserving sites without an intent of developing them. FERC has also asked for public comment on how it should enforce permits once they are issued.