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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNOAA/AEA Stakeholder Meeting Summary 2011-ANOAA/AEA Stakeholder Meeting Summary The purpose of the stakeholder meeting was to gain private and public opinion on the proposed research within the Cook Inlet. Presentations were given by state and federal organizations along with industrial and environmental panels. The meeting was designed to allow for question and answer peri- ods after each speaker. To begin the conference, Laura Rear-McLaughlin called the meeting to order and introduced the speakers to give the opening remarks. (Outline of opening speakers) Peter Crimp, deputy director of AEEE at Alaska Energy Authority spoke about the partnership between NOAA and AEA and how it will allow each organization to gain knowledge of the individual areas. Representative Paul Seaton expressed his excitement to see the effort for tidal energy in the state and presented ideas on using docks and anchored ships to produce power. Kris Holderied from the NOAA Kasitna Bay laboratory. Darcy Dugan from Alaska Ocean Observing System or AOOS. The priority for the organization is to provide easily acceptable data. (Cook Inlet Oceanography) Sue Saupe from Cook inlet RCAC covered the Cook Inlet oceanogra- phy. Included in her presentation were slides of tide directions, depths and strengths. She also covered the depositional, erosional, and non-mobile shorelines. (NOAA Modeling Carl Kamerer) Carl Kammerer went over the current observation project. This included a background working with AEA. He also covered the plans on where the testing was to be done and at what depths. He also mentioned the recon which would cover the bottom type, depth, salinity and traffic. The final research will be done with 10 stations to be placed in 2012. With the new infor- mation it should help fill current gaps that exist. The equipment that will be used is an ADCP or acoustic Doppler current profiler. (NOAA Modeling and Observations Rich Patchen) Rich Patchen covered the design and implemen- tation of the Cook Inlet circulation modeling system. The objectives included support known require- ments for the region and to develop improved navigational products from the region. This should help with maritime operations, resource management, costal sciences, oil response, recreation, renewable energy and web enabled tidal and current charts. Moderated Discussion Industry Panel consisted of companies and universities interested in developing technology for use in Alaskan waters. They were also interested in using the data that is to be gathered by NOAA to de- velop their own respective technologies. Monty Worthington presented on behalf of ORPC with their current technologies for capturing the ener- gy of rivers, oceanic and tidal. He also talked about current projects in Florida, Maine and projects in the Tanana River and Cook Inlet. Walter Dinkins presented for Baker Hughes Inteq. on the reverse drilling motors that have potential to be used on existing oil rigs to generate power. He talked about the benefits for having the tidal research within the Cook Inlet to help Baker Hughes better develop their technology. He gave one drawback to his equipment as being the high speed at which it runs along with the unprotected rotors that will “turn fish into sushi”. Jerome Johnson from UAF presented on the efforts from UAF in hydrokinetic energy research. Current projects include cross flow turbines from ORPC and NEW Energy along with hydrofoil and vortex induced vibration. In the Tanana River, ORPC is testing their RivGen technology in cooperation with UAF. UAF is also looking at the different flow rates and depths of a river that is constantly changing shape. Finally he went over the factors affecting research such as debris, ice and fish. Ben Beste from Environmental Panel Mandy Migura Thomas Eley Parker Bradley presented on the potential impacts of different in -river hydrokinetics on fish. He conduct- ed the research in the middle of the river and along the bank with the nets set in the top, middle and bot- tom water column. This allowed him to compare the number of fish caught along with the species in dif- ferent parts of the river.