The study focuses on developing a spatially explicit approach to optimize siting of ocean renewable energy in the context of important technical and economic criteria. Hawaii was chosen for a case study and development of the approach due to the complex nature of the energy climate there and DOE’s ongoing involvement to support marine spatial planning for the West Coast. Primary objectives of the study included 1) analyzing the political and economic context for ocean renewable energy development in Hawaii, especially with respect to how inter-island transmission may affect the future of renewable energy development in Hawaii; 2) adapting and applying a Geographic Information System (GIS) approach that has been used to assess the technical suitability of offshore renewable energy technologies in Washington, Oregon, and California, to Hawaii’s offshore environment; and 3) develop a mathematical model for exploring scenarios for ocean renewable energy development in Hawaii that seeks to optimize technical and economic suitability within the context of Hawaii’s existing energy policy and planning. The approach presented here represents an initial step toward one that simultaneously considers key factors (political, economic, and technical) that affect decision making with respect to energy policy and planning.
Revised: July 12, 2016 |
Published: September 1, 2015