pg&e waveconnect humboldt working group · humboldt working group (hwg) groundrules. 2 •...

PG&E WaveConnectHumboldt

Working Group

January 6, 2010

HWG

HWG

Humboldt Working Group (HWG) Groundrules

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• Participate in an active and focused manner – commit to process success.

• Interact with all other members respectfully.• Communicate interests, not positions. • Be brief in communications, and be prepared. • Help involve all.• Seek solutions for all.• Commit to a good faith effort.• Share relevant information.• Communicate effectively—open, frank communications with the

larger community, “not-for-attribution” to individuals in the group. • Attend all meetings; start on time.• Keep cell phones on silent.

HWG

Facilitator Responsibilities

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• Maintain a neutral position as project issues are discussed.

• Help the group accomplish its objectives.

• Help guide the discussion.

• Enforce participant ground rules.

• Help involve all.

• Ask “why” to clarify interests.

• Ensure a smooth process.

• Retain confidential information as confidential to individual participants.

• Manage time.

• Track actions, next steps, deadlines.

HWG

Agenda

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I. Light Supper/Snacks..…………….……….…….5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.II. Review Agenda, Groundrules.………………...6:00 p.m. – 6:10 p.m.III.Humboldt WaveConnect 2010 Schedule and HWG role

…………………………………………………………..6:10 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.IV. Updates………………..……………………………..6:30 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.V. Monitoring and Adaptive Management Approach Overview

……………..…………..……….………………………6:50 p.m. – 7:35 p.m.VI. Break.…….……………………………..……….…..7:35 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.VII.Security Systems Overview…..……………....7:45 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.VIII.Humboldt WaveConnect Public Meeting Subcommittee

…………………………………………………………….……8:30 – 8:40 p.m.IX. Next Steps, Adjourn…..………………....….……..…….………8:40 p.m.

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Humboldt WaveConnect Project Anticipated Timeline

HWG

HWG Process Overview

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HWG

HWG 2010 Schedule

• HWG Meetingso January 6o February 1oMarch 9oApril 6oMay 4o June 1o July 13

• HWG Permitting Authority Subcommittee Meetingso January 7o February 2oMarch 10oApril 7oMay 5o June 2o July 14

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HWG

Updates

• Coast Guard/PG&E Meeting (December 4)• Next steps to Wave Energy Converter (WEC) selection • Vendor quotes on notional cable plant alternatives• Briefing with US Dept of Energy (DOE) (December 22)• Humboldt WaveConnect public meeting subcommittee• Kearns and West (K&W) one-on-one meetings with HWG• HWG member updates• PG&E Central Coast WaveConnect Project• Boat tour of crabbing grounds on Jan 5

HWG

WEC Deployment Siting Area

HWG

Local Infrastructure Planning

Humboldt WaveConnect Site Capabilities Assessment • Winzler & Kelly

– Shore Site Civil Engineering Drawings (kicked off Nov 11)– Harbor Capabilities Assessment (kicked off Jan 6)

• Pacific Affiliates – Waterfront Capabilities Assessment (kicked off Jan 4)

Infrastructure Planning Next Steps• WEC selection will determine WEC draft and weight• Need to match requirements to facilities• PG&E competitive process

HWG

Humboldt State University Collaborations

• Engaged President Richmond in 2008

• April and June Meetings with Humboldt State University (HSU) Faculty

• PG&E Request for Proposal to PG&E in August 2009

• HSU Proposals in October

• Contracts through HSU Foundation

HWG

HSU Studies

• Marine Mammal studies • Wave Resource Assessment • Sediment Transport Dynamics• Socioeconomics of whale watching, industry and

tourist fleet, fishing industry, and boat population• Benthic Organisms• Baseline Fish Data• Cable Landing Area Beach Scour

HWG

Baseline Studies Update

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Uses Mapping Project Draft Maps

• Redwood Science Lab – Marine birds and mammals, consolidate long-term study data

• California State Waters Mapping Program – bottom profiles and sediment analysis HSU, multivariate analysis of video transects NOAA

• Oregon Wave Energy Trust (OWET) Fish and Crab Study Submitted

• OWET Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Study Submitted

Monitoring & Adaptive Management for PG&E Humboldt WaveConnect

HWG

HWG

Humboldt WaveConnect Project

• Short-term duration

• Temporary effects

• Small footprint

• Impacts probably local and small-scale

• Opportunity to study effects with low risk

• Informs future WEC configurations, designs, &

mitigation measures

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HWG

Monitoring & Adaptive Management

• Address scientific uncertainty

• Screening criteria to trigger additional

mitigation if necessary

• Objective-driven effects evaluation

• Monitoring and reporting requirements

• Adaptive Management

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HWG

Monitoring & Adaptive Management

Define problem, management objectives

Revisemonitoring, mitigation, minimization measures

Designmonitoring and mitigation plans

Implement monitoring

Evaluate results

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HWG

Pinnipeds Likely to Occur in Project Area

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Common and coastal, haul out on rocks and/or beaches

• Harbor seal – present year-round, breeds here

• Steller sea lion Federally Threaten (FT) – present year-round, breeds at

Cape Mendocino

• California sea lion – fall and spring peaks, breeds in Southern California

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HWG

Cetaceans Likely to Occur in Project Area

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Common in Project Area

• Harbor porpoise – common year-round

• Gray whale – migrate past twice a year, some residents

• Humpback whale, Federally Endangered (FE) – migratory, present spring

to fall

• Blue whale, Federally Endangered – migratory, present summer to fall,

ephemeral

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HWG

Cetaceans Likely to Occur in Project Area

Rare, occasional, ephemeral in Project Area, typically farther offshore

• Minke whale

• Transient killer whale

• Dall’s porpoise

• Risso’s dolphin

• Pacific white-sided dolphin

• Northern right whale dolphin

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HWG

Marine Mammals Unlikely in Project area, Could Occur in “Acoustic Area”

Off-shelf distribution, could detect WECs acoustically

• Pinnipeds

– Northern elephant seal

– Northern fur seal

• Cetaceans

– Fin whale (Federally Endangered)

– Sperm whale (Federally Endangered)

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HWG

Potential Effects on Marine Mammals

• Noise

• Electromagnetic Fields (EMF)

• Entanglement

• Collisions with vessels

• Attraction to WECs for foraging, haul-out

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HWG

Noise

• Objective: What are the noise levels associated

with the project?

• Monitoring & Adaptive Management

– Marine mammal surveys (acoustic, visual) to assess

exposure

– Characterize ambient noise

– Measure noise from WECs

– Compare with known sensitivity thresholds

– Model masking effects

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HWG

Entanglement

• Objectives: Does lost gear entangle with the WECs and

moorings? Do marine mammals become entangled?


– Monitor and remove lost fishing gear from WECs

– Marine mammal surveys (acoustic, visual) to assess exposure

– If entanglement occurs, adjust frequency of lost gear removal

– Install “pingers” to repel marine mammals

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HWG

Collisions with vessels

• Objective: Are vessels colliding with marine mammals?


– Marine mammals surveys (visual, acoustic) to assess

exposure

– Marine mammal observers

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HWG

Attraction to WECs for foraging, haul-out

• Potential indirect effects

– Increased exposure to other impacts (i.e., entanglement)

– Increased predation on listed fish (salmon, smelt)


– Modify WECs to prevent pinniped haul-outs

– Marine mammal surveys (acoustic, visual)

– Install “pingers” to repel marine mammals

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HWG

T&E Fish and EFH

• Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Fish Species– Pacific salmon- 6 Environmentally Significant Units (ESU)

and 2 Distinct Population Segments (DPS)– North American green sturgeon southern DPS (Federally

Threatened)– Southern eulachon DPS (Federally Proposed Threatened)– Longfin smelt (State Threatened)

• Essential Fish Habitat (EFH)– Rockfish, roundfish, flatfish, elasmobranchs,

highly migratory species, coastal pelagics, Pacific salmon

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HWG

Potential Risks to T&E Fish and EFH

• Artificial reef, Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) effects

• Biofouling

• Electromagnetic

Fields (EMF)

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HWG

Artificial reef, FAD effects


– Increased predation on listed fish species by marine

mammals and fish predators


– Modify WECs to prevent pinniped haul-outs

– Fish, invertebrate abundance & distribution monitoring

– Gut content analysis of fish predators

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HWG

Biofouling


– Habitat modification, changing species composition

– Invasive species


– Operations and Maintenance includes Remote Operated

Vehicles monitoring, dive surveys

– Settlement plates if biofouling occurs

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HWG

Electromagnetic Fields

• Species potentially affected:

– Marine mammals

– Green sturgeon

– Salmonids

– Elasmobranchs

– Dungeness crab

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HWG

Electromagnetic Fields

• Potential effects

– Changes in behavior, navigation, orientation

– Interruption of migration for sturgeon, salmon


– Shield / bury cables

– Measure baseline electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic fields

from WECs, compare to known sensitivity thresholds

– Monitor for presence of tagged, migrating fishes (e.g., sturgeon,

salmonids)

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HWG

Seabirds

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• Potential Effects

– Attraction to lighting & collision with

structures

– Use of structures as nesting or roosting sites

– Disturbance of foraging & resting


– Observations of flight patterns & potential

collisions

– Surveys of use of above-water structures

– Monitoring of trends in use of foraging &

resting habitat within project area (build on

existing monitoring data)

HWG

Construction Zone Monitoring

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• Biological resources construction monitoringo Marine mammal monitoringo Terrestrial plants and wildlife monitoring

• Storm water discharge monitoring

• Horizontal Directional Drilling mud release monitoring

• Archaeological monitoring of excavation pit

HWG

Monitoring Plan Structure

• Define monitoring objectives (e.g., Do WEC devices, anchors, moorings act as artificial reefs or FADs?)

• Describe approach, methods, and rationale• Monitoring schedule and frequency (space, time,

seasonality)• Monitoring metrics and analysis• Constraints, limitations and feasibility• Adaptive management, including triggers and

outcomes if possible.

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HWG

Next Steps

• Ongoing discussion with HWG and HWG Permitting Authority Subcommittee

• Draft monitoring plans• Distribute monitoring plans with Draft Pilot License

Application (DPLA)• HWG and HWG Permitting Authority Subcommittee to

review and collaboratively refine plans for Final Pilot License Application (FPLA)

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HWG

Break

HWG37

HWG

Security and Safety

HWG38

HWG

Introduction: Security and Safety• “Security” means different things to different people.

– At PG&E, Security and Safety are inseparable.• PG&E and local governments have established security and safety standards.

– We will follow them.• This presentation will discuss the preliminary design status of:

– Security:• Physical Security• Information System Security• Access Control• Monitoring

– Safety• Shore Facilities• Offshore Facilities• Navigation Safety

– Contingency Plan

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HWG

Security: Physical Security

• Follow PG&E standards for Power Generation Facilities– Security Fence– Signage (“Danger,” “High Voltage,” “No Trespassing”)– Lighting– Security Cameras– Electronic Badge Access Control– Intrusion Alarms– Security personnel perform periodic sweep

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HWG

Security: Information System Security• Redundant communications paths

– Hardwired and wireless

• All data encrypted– Protected for proprietary nature of data

• Data stored locally and remotely– Periodic backups to storage

• Remote access to data– Webpage to allow access– Varying levels of access for public, engineers,

and monitoring technicians– System will block unauthorized users

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HWG

Security: Access Control

• Access limited by security measures• Access for fire protection provided in accordance with

local standards• Minimize access to hazardous materials

– Follow standard PG&E guidelines for hazardous materials– Minimal to no hazardous materials expected on-site

• Lighting: Backup generators will provide emergency power if needed

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HWG

Security: Monitoring – Shore Facilities

• “Remoted” to Control Center– Existing PG&E facility– Monitors system health

and locations of WECs– 24/7 Operations– Toll free phone number for

emergencies (posted at Shore Station and on WECs)

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HWG

Security: Monitoring – Off Shore Facilities

• Radar and Visual Sensors– Mounted on shore– Possibly mounted on a WEC– Coverage of WEC area and cable route– Radar reflectors on WECs and buoys– Communications to Control Center

• WEC Intrusion Alarms– Proximity alarms

• Visual Inspection– Frequent visual inspection

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HWG

Security: Shore Facilities

• Follow PG&E standards for Power Generation Facilities– Security Fence– Signs (“Danger,” “High Voltage,” “No Trespassing”)– Lighting– Security Cameras– Electronic Badge Access Control– Intrusion Alarms– Security personnel perform periodic

sweep

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HWG

Security: Offshore Facilities

• “Properly marked, properly lighted, properly annotated”.

• Regulations derive from international treaties and agreements: International Association of Lighthouse Administrators (IALA) Recommendation O-139 “The Marking of Man-Made Offshore Structures” and United States Coast Guard (USCG) policies on “Offshore Renewable Energy facilities”

• Corner Buoys (subject to US Coast Guard concurrence)– Corner buoys located at site edges– Amber flashing light visible for 3 nm– Radar Reflector

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HWG

Security: Offshore Facilities


• WEC Marking (subject to US Coast Guard concurrence)– Flashing light visible for 2 nm– Sound signal audible for 2 nm when visibility less than 2 nm– Both will flash/sound Morse code “U” (●●▬)– Radar Reflector

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HWG

Security: Offshore Facilities –Cable Route


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HWG

Safety: Navigation Safety

• “Properly marked, properly lighted, properly annotated”.• Based on stakeholder inputs, a limited access area is not

anticipated to be requested by PG&E.• Based on US Coast Guard input, charts to be annotated

as “Area to be Avoided” (ATBA)– Noted on NOAA Charts– Routing measure (not “exclusion”)

• Not intended for commercial shipping• Not intended for tug and tow• Not intended for trawling• Not recommended for fishing/crabbing• Access for gear retrieval

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HWG

Contingency Plan

• “Layered” set of contingency response plans will be developed– Address envisioned unplanned events– Address equipment, personnel, and other resources

needed– Notification procedures for US Coast Guard, local

emergency responders, and law enforcement agencies– Reporting plan for contingency responses– Response times to be determined– Last line of defense is “standby salvage agreement”

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HWG

Conclusion: Security and Safety• “Security” means different things to different people.

– At PG&E, Security and Safety are inseparable.• PG&E and local governments have established security and safety

standards.– We will follow them.

• This presentation will discuss the preliminary design status of:– Security:

• Physical Security• Information System Security• Access Control• Monitoring

– Safety• Shore Facilities• Offshore Facilities• Navigation Safety

– Contingency Plan

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HWG

Next Steps

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