PNNL

Abstract

Development of the marine renewable energy (MRE) industry has been challenged by uncertainty about potential environmental effects, which has resulted in slowing of permitting/consenting processes, and ultimately to constraints on the industry. These challenges result from a lack of sufficient devices in the water from which to learn, a dearth of quality monitoring data, and a lack of of accessibility to information about these effects in general. This paper describes an ongoing process to improve understanding of the environmental effects of MRE through a public, online knowledge management system developed by the US Department of Energy, known as Tethys (https://tethys.pnnl.gov). Tethys collects and curates relevant documents while supporting a diverse international community through intentional outreach and synthesis activities, many of which support an international collaboration under the IEA Ocean Energy System’s Annex IV. After 8 years of operation, Tethys is internationally recognized and viewed as a trusted broker of information, with over 50,000 visitors annually. Tethys has provided clarity around environmental effects during a critical time in the industry when deployments are increasing in size and frequency.