Admiralty Inlet Final License Application

Abstract

Public Utility District No. 1 of Snohomish County (the District) is filing this Environmental Report as part of an Application for an Original Hydrokinetic Pilot License with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) for the construction and operation of the proposed Admiralty Inlet Pilot Tidal Project (FERC Project No. 12690) (Project). This environmental report assesses the effects associated with construction, installation, and operation of the proposed Project and Project alternatives, and recommends to the Commission that a license be issued.

The primary goal of the Project is to conduct research and gather data, with energy production playing a secondary role. The information Snohomish expects to gather is critical to informing questions of regional and national interest relative to the technical, economic, and environmental viability of tidal energy generation, and will inform Snohomish’s potential further development of the Admiralty Inlet site, and potential development of other sites in and around Puget Sound. The District believes there is potential to generate renewable, emission free, environmentally responsible, and cost effective energy from tidal flows in the Admiralty Inlet region of Puget Sound, and that successful tidal energy demonstration in the Sound may result in important benefits for both the northwest region and the country.