A new website has been designed by the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for those interested or involved in the development of renewable ocean energy, but need more information on how it could affect the environment.
Tethys is an online repository of environmental information related to marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) and offshore wind energy.
This smart searchable database is designed to make MHK and offshore wind environmental information from around the globe easily accessible so that users can classify and evaluate the environmental effects of renewable ocean energy development.
The database will allow users to easily search for environmental data associated with specific sites, technologies, and potential environmental impacts to improve understanding of renewable ocean energy environmental data between all groups and ease roadblocks that prevent devices from being deployed.
Tethys is unique in that it will evolve as stakeholder input is incorporated to ensure information accuracy, and to address the changing needs of its diverse set of users as industry advances and more data become available.
The site is a work in progress, and its developers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory want to involve the diverse user base in an ongoing effort to improve and enhance Tethys’s offerings.
To provide an input, people can simply create a free account on the site, log in, browse the content and leave their comments.
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Offshore WIND staff, August 30, 2012; Image: Alpha Ventus