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Marine Renewable Energy

Marine Renewable Energy Feasibility Project

In early 2023, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) received a grant from the US Department of Energy Water Power Technology Office to explore the feasibility of Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) to increase grid resilience on the North Olympic Peninsula. PNNL will examine a number of factors affecting feasibility of MRE at various sites on the Peninsula, including the amount of tidal energy that can be generated, grid infrastructure available for grid tie-in and islanded operation and the potential for combining MRE with other renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and battery storage to increase resilience.


As a partner on the project, NODC will build on previous regional planning processes for climate change adaptation, natural disaster resilience and energy to develop and lead a multi-criteria decision-making approach to engage communities and Tribes across the Peninsula in the project to identify needs and define important project metrics. NODC will facilitate community meetings and roundtable discussions to collect input, guide framework development, and eventually share results. NODC will also host a community workshop to support energy planning in the region and get feedback on potential MRE project benefits and highest-value project outcomes. NODC will work with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to document the community-driven planning process so that others can learn from this work.


NODC will also conduct an analysis on the economic development opportunities that MRE-based microgrids could provide to the Olympic Peninsula, including potential benefits from increased system resilience, from additional capacity to support new demand and from job creation opportunities. These findings will be integrated into the final project report.


Other Articles:

Energy Futures Conference

By Amy Nash • 17 May, 2023
NODC partnered with PNNL and regional stakeholders, including local governments, tribal communities, public utilities, and economic development agencies, on an Energy Futures Conference for the North Olympic Peninsula.

Regional Climate Action Planning for the North Olympic Peninsula

By Amy Nash • 09 Dec, 2021
In late 2020, NODC was awarded funding through the Puget Sound Partnership from the EPA's National Estuary Program for Phase 2: Municipal Level Climate Action Planning for the North Olympic Peninsula.

Broadband Initiative

By Pam Wennerberg • 30 Mar, 2021
NODC’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) 2016-2020 for the North Olympic Peninsula identified expansion of broadband access as critical to economic development in the region . While urban areas of the United States enjoy broadband speeds of up to 1 GB, geographically isolated and economically disadvantaged rural areas like the North Olympic Peninsula are being left behind. Large areas of the North Olympic Peninsula lack access to even minimum broadband speeds of 25 mbps. This makes it nearly impossible for students to use the internet for schoolwork, for employees to telework, or for farmers and small businesses to use new technologies and develop online marketing. Lack of access is particularly common in the sparsely populated, geographically rugged west end of the Olympic Peninsula. Surprisingly, though, even areas near or within the city limits of the Peninsula’s major towns can lack access. Attempts to address the situation have been challenged by the high costs of infrastructure in our rugged rural terrain and the need for a coordinated, collaborative and sustained effort. In March 2019, NODC worked with partners to present a two day regional broadband symposium that brought together local governments, tribes, Public Utility Districts, ports, internet service providers, funders, industry experts and the general public. Attended by 120 people, the symposium resulted in the formation of Broadband Action Teams in Jefferson County, Sequim, Port Angeles and greater Clallam County.
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