An amendment to the original draft of part five of the Oregon Territorial Sea Plan adopted in 2009, related to development of wave energy, is to be voted on by the Land Conservation and Development Commission at its meeting on January 24 in Salem.
A moratorium on permits for wave energy facilities in Oregon’s territorial sea was placed five years ago, and now the state has a plan that specifies the sites where renewable energy can be developed.
Tim Josi, Chairman of the Territorial Sea Plan Advisory Committee is quoted by The Oregonian as saying that designating of areas suitable for construction was a “painful process” and explained: “Fishermen were the primary controversy … having to tell where their best sites are, and not only that, but having to give up fishing grounds. No matter what you do there is going to be one fishery or another hurt. People who live shore side don’t want to look at these facilities. People who use the ocean for recreation want to make sure their playgrounds are protected. We had to develop standards for all of those.”
The process of development of wave, tidal and wind power off the Oregon involved updating the state’s Territorial Sea Plan and holding public forums that have shown the concerns on preserving the natural beauty of the coast, which many people consider to be ignored by the planning process.
On the other hand, last year’s study revealed that 78% of Oregon coastal residents support development of ocean wave energy.
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Offshore WIND Staff, January 21, 2013