Tillamook County’s “Tillamook Intergovernmental Development Entity” (TIDE), has received a three-year preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to study the feasibility of the hydrokinetic Oregon Coast Wave Energy Project. TIDE is an intergovernmental group joining Tillamook County government and the Tillamook People’s Utility District, which is also studying a proposal from Principle Power for floating wind energy generators on 243-foot towers off the Oceanside-Netarts coast.
With the wave energy buoys expected to be 2 1/2 to 3 miles offshore, within the Oregon territorial sea and Principle Power saying that the floating wind turbines would be beyond the territorial sea boundary, the migration patterns of grey whales could intersect with the energy-producing device locations, according to a study by Joel G. Ortega-Ortiz and Bruce R. Mate of the
Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute. Click on Distribution and movement patterns of gray whales migrating by
Oregon: Shore-based observations off Yaquina Head, Oregon to see the study.
Paul Levesque, Tillamook County’s facilities fleet and contract director, said the wave energy project would study six sites, one each off of Neskowin, Nestucca, Netarts, Garibaldi, Rockaway and Nehalem. The sites are located because of the proximity of PUD substations To see the FERC permit, click on TIDE PrelimPermit..
In addition, TIDE has received a proposal from Principle Power Inc. for wind turbines mounted on floating pontoons about 11 miles off the Tillamook Coast. See The Oregonian's story on the proposal.
The TIDE board members are Commissioner Mark Labhart, Levesque, PUD director Pat Ashby, and PUD board member Barbara Trout.
Having issued a request for proposals, TIDE is currently negotiating with Columbia Energy Partners on a contract for the three-year feasibility study of these wave energy sites and equipment. The FERC preliminary permit expires in May 2011 at which time, or earlier, Tillamook County can apply for a FERC permit to establish wave energy devices off the coast. Columbia Partners information is at http://www.columbiaenergypartners.com/
For each of the six sites, the permit allows studies of:
“5 to 90 wave buoy generators having a total installed capacity of 20 to 180 megawatts, (2) a proposed 24.9 kilovolt transmission line, and (3) appurtenant facilities. The project is estimated to have an average annual generation from 87.5 to 790 gigawatt-hours, which would be sold to a local utility.”
Levesque said each of the wave energy sites would be about a mile wide and located 2 ½ to 3 miles offshore. If you’re standing on Oceanside’s beach and your eyes are at 5’9” height, the horizon is 3.24 miles away.
In addition, Levesque said Tillamook County has received an unsolicited proposal from Principle Power CEO and co-founder Alla Weinstein for proposed wind-generating turbines from 10 to 12 miles off the Tillamook coast. He said TIDE is negotiating with Principle Power on a memorandum of understanding on how the company would purse a possible permit application and feasibility study of the wind-power technology.
He said he expects the memorandum of understanding to be completed in about 30 days and the Principle Power would prepare a proposal for the feasibility study. Any proposed permit application would go to the federal Minerals Management Service, which regulates such projects from three to 12 miles offshore.
Principle Power information is at www.principlepowerinc.com/ To keep track of Tillamook County projects with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, go to http://www.ferc.gov/for-citizens/projectsearch/SearchProjects.aspx and enter keyword “tillamook.”
