The U.S. Department of Energy has launched a new online database that contains the “results of environmental monitoring and research efforts on wave, tidal, and current energy development worldwide”, HydroWorld.com has learned.
Developed in collaboration with the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Ocean Energy Systems Initiative (OES), the database has been named “Tethys” after the Greek titaness of the ocean and will “help industry regulators and energy project developers deploy sustainable ocean energy projects in an environmentally responsible manner,” DOE said.
The Tethys database and an accompanying report, titled Environmental Effects of Marine Energy Development around the World, provide “real-world” data, which documents “interactions between wave, tidal and current devices, marine wildlife, and oceans’ physical systems.”
Tethys also includes an interactive map of hydrokinetic monitoring and research projects from around the world, helping developers and regulatory agencies in siting and permitting future projects, DOE said.
The report was compiled by DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. OES partner nations Canada, Ireland, Spain, Norway, New Zealand and South Korea also provided funding and input.
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