Project open for public comment, draft application is filed
San Juan County’s electric utility organization is one step closer to harnessing a new kind of power in the Salish Sea.
Orcas Power and Light Cooperative, or OPALCO, recently filed a draft application for a 10-year pilot project to harness tidal power in Rosario Strait off Blakely and Orcas islands.
OPALCO currently serves over 11,000 San Juan County residents, with the majority of its electricity generated by hydroelectric plants. But the organization is eager to dive into tidal power, which it sees as a key piece for the future of renewable energy sources.
“If everything lines up perfectly, a project like this would still take years to get up and running. We may be seeing energy shortfalls before that time,” OPALCO General Manager Foster Hildreth said in a press release. “We can’t wait until things become dire before starting to take action.”
The draft application is the first step in an expedited licensing process through the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC. The fast-tracked process is aimed at developing hydrokinetic technology, which harnesses energy from waves, tides and currents.
FERC’s website stresses that the pilot projects are “small, short-term, removable and carefully-monitored,” which allows the technology to be tested in real-world conditions while still monitoring for environmental or other impacts.
The project is still in early stages, though, said OPALCO spokesperson Krista Bouchey. She said the draft license application helps determine what further studies and steps need to be taken before OPALCO files a final application.
During the next 12–18 months, FERC will hold a public comment period and publicly notify tribal nations and other stakeholders before eventually deciding whether the project qualifies for the expedited process, Bouchey added.
If given the green light, the project would deploy a floating tidal turbine in Rosario Strait, specifically a device called O2X. The prototype comes in at about 242 feet and 680 metric tons — large enough to be seen from shore — developed by Orbital Marine Energy. The Scottish company has already installed the device in the Orkney Islands and has been generating electricity from it since 2021.
Future phases of the project are also dependent on federal funding. The Department of Energy is expected to decide in the coming months whether the project will stay in the running for funds.
More support than criticism
A log of public comments from town halls on the project in January shows 41% voiced support for the project, Bouchey said. Others registered objections or said they wanted more information.
Critics worry the project is financially unfeasible and could have negative cultural and environmental impacts.
Orca Conservancy Executive Director Shari Tarantino stressed that Rosario Strait is critical habitat for several engaged species, including the Southern Resident orcas and chinook salmon.
“Science tells us Southern Resident killer whales rely heavily on acoustic communication to forage and navigate — so increased underwater noise and mechanical interference will disrupt their already fragile foraging success and social behaviors,” she wrote in an email.
Elisabeth Robson, an activist with Protect The Coast PNW, worries about other environmental impacts, ranging from microplastics and noise pollution to mooring lines on the turbine that will scrape the seabed as the tide moves.
“We know that the Salish Sea is in deep trouble already with pollution, with noise, with activity that all impact marine species,” Robson said. “I think of it as death by a thousand cuts — and this is another large cut. So I think people need to be aware of the potential environmental impacts.”
OPALCO is currently studying environmental impacts, according to its website.
Another point of concern is the project’s cost. OPALCO says the full cost of the project is still being determined, but a preliminary assessment estimates the cost of building the tidal turbine in the U.S. at $40 million.
“It’s just not economic at all,” said Chom Greacen, an energy analyst who lives on Lopez Island.
Greacen said cheaper energy options she recommends include adapting rates to better regulate wasteful consumption and increasing solar and battery energy among the islands.
Brian Polagye, director of the Pacific Marine Energy Center at the University of Washington and a consultant to OPALCO’s preliminary assessment, previously told Salish Current that while he expects costs for tidal energy to decrease if it becomes more popular, the current prospects are expensive.
“Because of the early stage of the technology, tidal power is an expensive source of energy,” Polagye told Salish Current in November. He cited 2019 data listing tidal energy at $130 to $280 per megawatt-hour compared to $20 per megawatt-hour for wind.
The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has also expressed concern. The Tribe filed a request earlier this month to extend the public comment period until September.
The request states that OPALCO failed to respond substantively to the Tribe’s concerns, including the potential impact on treaty fishing rights.
The Tribe also raised issue with OPALCO’s decision to seek a 10-year permit for the project.
“That is a significant amount of time to merely test a new technology,” the Swinomish’s request reads. “While this may be designated a ‘pilot’ project the reality is that the project would be a full-sized tidal turbine operating in the waters. …(OPALCO) has indicated that it intends to seek a full, formal license from FERC after the pilot permit ends, meaning that once the technology is deployed, it may not leave the water for several years or decades.”
The state pulled funding for a project that would have installed a tidal turbine in the Similk and Skagit bay area for a three-month test period after pushback from several tribes. The State Department of Commerce cited impacts on treaty-protected rights, the Salish Sea ecosystem and access to culturally significant places and resources in its decision.
Fluctuating demand
The Pacific Northwest is likely to experience record increases in energy consumption in coming years. In fact, electricity demand is projected to increase 2.5% annually and 25% in the next decade.
Washington has committed to reducing dependence on fossil fuels in favor of clean or renewable energy sources, and the Clean Energy Transformation Act requires all electricity in the state to be carbon-free by 2045.
OPALCO sees tidal power as a key tool to meeting those goals. But Bouchey said renewable energy projects have been hampered by “permitting issues and (‘not in my backyard’) sentiments.”
“There are no perfect energy solutions, and our communities are going to have to make some hard choices when looking at our carbon-free energy future,” Bouchey wrote in an email to Salish Current.
Critics, however, worry not enough focus is being given to conservation and energy reduction.
“It is upon us to figure out how to reduce our demand so that we don’t need to spend tens of millions of dollars on an experimental machine (when) we have no idea the impact it will have,” Robson said.
Learning more
Those interested in exploring the project can:
- Visit OPALCO’s website for updates, FAQs and more
- View project documents and public comments by going to FERC’s eLibrary and searching using docket number P-15368.
- Submit public comments on FERC’s website using the project number 15368
- Click through an interactive model of the proposed technology on Orbital Marine’s website
— By Sydnee Chapman
Also read in Salish Current:
• “Town halls slated on tidal energy project in San Juan waters,” Jan. 17, 2025
• “OPALCO’s Tidal Energy Pilot Project facing early headwinds,” Nov. 11, 2024
• “OPALCO proposes to harness tidal power for San Juans,” May 13, 2024