Tethys Stories

Tethys Stories feature information on news, events, research, and projects relevant to wind and marine renewable energy development activities across the globe. Stories are contributed from individuals working in the field, and provide insight into advancing the energy industry in an environmentally responsible manner. If you are interested in providing content to be featured as a Tethys Story, please email tethys@pnnl.gov.

  • Submitted by Sybill Henry (France Énergies Marines) on
    Offshore renewable energy projects, including offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy, are expanding rapidly all over the world. Whether they are on a commercial or pilot scale, offshore renewable energy projects are raising many questions from the public and stakeholders in the sea and coastal areas about their potential effects on the environment, marine ecosystems, and society. Created in 2018… Read More
  • Submitted by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on
    To help the United States achieve its goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Energy Technologies Office and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management awarded $15 million for five projects. These projects will gather essential environmental and wildlife data to support offshore wind development. As part of this initiative, the Electric… Read More
  • Submitted by Kate Smith (Nova Innovation) on
    Building on the success of Nova Innovation’s 6-turbine array in Shetland, Scotland, the ‘Sustainable European Advanced Subsea Tidal Array’ (SEASTAR) project will use Nova’s well-proven turbines to deliver a 4 MW tidal farm of 16 turbines. SEASTAR, located at the European Marine Energy Centre’s (EMEC) Fall of Warness tidal site in Orkney, Scotland, will be home to the largest number of tidal… Read More
  • Submitted by Bob Rumes, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) & Nicole Todd, University College Cork (UCC) on
    A total capacity of 27 gigawatts (GW) of fixed offshore wind is operational globally, with a further 275 GW anticipated by 2050. Sounds from the development of offshore wind farms (OWF) are a contributor of anthropogenic noise to the marine environment. The offshore wind industry, regulators, and researchers around the world have expended substantial effort to better understand and mitigate the… Read More
  • Submitted by Richard Camilli (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) on
    In support of the United States’ goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Energy Technologies Office recently announced $15 million for five projects, co-funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), that will provide critical environmental and wildlife data to aid offshore wind development. As part of that effort, Woods Hole… Read More
  • Submitted by ScotMER Team (Alexander Gilliland, Claire Gorby, Lucy Trimble, Coleen Murty, and Mariya Menova) on
    The Scottish Marine Energy Research (ScotMER) programme is a Scottish Government initiative that identifies and addresses key evidence needs to help inform licensing, consenting, and planning decisions around offshore renewable energy and disseminates that evidence back to a broad stakeholder community. This is done through seven receptor groups: Ornithology; Marine Mammals; Fish and Fisheries… Read More
  • Submitted by SPAN Team (Evelyn Philpott, Monika Kosecka, Jack Lucas, Hannah Millar, Rhiannon Nichol, Joe Onoufriou, Susanna Quer, Paul Stainer, Louise Wilson, and Kate Brookes) on
    In 2022, the Scottish Government held its first offshore wind leasing round in over a decade, ScotWind Leasing, and awarded seabed option agreements to a total of 20 offshore wind energy projects. Since the waters around Scotland are home to many marine species, the potential effects of underwater noise from offshore wind construction and operations on marine life remain key considerations in… Read More
  • Submitted by Lisa Ballance and Barbara Lagerquist; Oregon State University on
    In support of the United States' goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Technologies Office recently announced $15 million for five projects, co-funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), that will provide critical environmental and wildlife data to aid offshore wind development. As part of that effort, the Marine Mammal… Read More
  • Submitted by Madeleine Paris, Kristin Hodge, Corrie Curtice, Patrick Halpin, Douglas Nowacek; Duke University on
    Offshore wind (OSW) energy is on track to expand rapidly in the U.S. Atlantic, but the potential impacts of siting, construction, and operation on the local wildlife are not well known. There are sizable gaps in knowledge about the behaviors and movements of some species in the surrounding habitats. In support of the Biden Administration’s goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of OSW energy by 2030 (… Read More
  • Submitted by Liese Siemann, Tasha O’Hara, Luisa Garcia, and Farrell Davis; Coonamessett Farm Foundation on
    In support of the United States’ goal to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the Department of Energy Wind Energy Technologies Office recently announced $13.5 million for four projects that will provide critical environmental and wildlife data to aid offshore wind development. As part of this effort, Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) has just started leading what will be a five… Read More