Title: A socio-technical assessment of marine renewable energy potential in coastal communities

Abstract

Coastal communities face unique socio-ecological risks and vulnerabilities due to their geography and related resource dependencies. The resilience of such communities and their capacity to adapt to social, economic, and environmental change is consequently shaped by the diverse characteristics and values that guide their development. Marine renewable energy (MRE) is one promising solution for augmenting coastal resilience and environmental sustainability while increasing energy security, energy affordability, and socioeconomic benefits. The socio-technical nature of energy transitions more broadly necessitates place-based and multidisciplinary analyses to gain a full picture of the needs of communities. Here this article uses potential MRE development (specifically tidal energy) in two coastal communities as a lens to explore how social perceptions and MRE’s technical potential might be integrated to improve alignment between community values and energy development. We draw on semi-structured interviews with community representatives from Sitka, Alaska and the San Juan Islands in Washington State and present findings on how energy development objectives are shaped by community values, resource relations, and institutional relations. Through modeling exercises, we also show the grid benefits of MRE deployment in the San Juan Islands, highlighting MRE’s role in deferring costly electric infrastructure upgrades and reducing fuel imports when paired withmore » solar photovoltaic (PV) or battery storage. These findings offer viable pathways for future MRE research, commercial validation, and deployment that directly respond to the place-based opportunities and challenges of coastal communities.« less

Authors:

Kazimierczuk, Kamila; Henderson, Christopher; Duffy, Kevin; Hanif, Sarmad; Bhattacharya, Saptarshi; Biswas, Saurabh; Jacroux, Eva; Preziuso, Danielle; Wu, Di; Bhatnagar, Dhruv; Tarekegne, Bethel

Publication Date:

Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2023

Research Org.:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Water Power Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:

1994606

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1973397

Report Number(s):

PNNL-SA-178137
Journal ID: ISSN 2214-6296; S2214629623001585; 103098; PII: S2214629623001585

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-76RL01830

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Energy Research and Social Science

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Energy Research and Social Science Journal Volume: 100 Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 2214-6296

Publisher:

Elsevier

Country of Publication:

Netherlands

Language:

English

Subject:

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER; energy justice, energy security, marine energy