$900,000 For Great Lakes Coastal Observing System

Oct 28:  In order to restore the Great Lakes and accomplish work set out in the President's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan, NOAA and many other partners are creating a comprehensive system of observations for the Great Lakes.  With funds from GLRI, NOAA awarded nearly $900,000 to the Ann Arbor based Limnotech, Inc to take the lead the effort in creating the archetype for the near-term implementation of the Great Lakes coastal observing system. On October 13, Limnotech started the work and services required to provide a comprehensive near-term design to provide data on the physical, chemical and biological parameters necessary for effective resource management in support of remediation, restoration and conservation actions through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The final product, due out in the Winter of 2011, will include the design, trade studies and price and schedule for the implementation of near term design architecture and alternatives for the phased implementation over the first five years.

            The Ann Arbor based Limnotech will work closely with the NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System, the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS) and the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and its experienced project team.  LimnoTech's project team is comprised of Applied Science Associates, Clarkson University, Michigan Tech Research Institute, and the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Joe DePinto from Limnotech said, "Together this team has the depth and breadth of expertise and experience to cover all aspects of providing a comprehensive design – observation technology, observation network design and implementation, data management and communication, data analysis and modeling, and data/products and services development and delivery."

 

    Access a release from NOAA with further details (click here). Access the GLERL website for more information (click here). Access the GLRI website for more information (click here).

Administration Meeting Draws Great Lakes Wind Advocates

Oct 27: The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hosted a workshop with the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative (GLWC) in Chicago on October 26 – 27, 2010, focused on the siting of offshore wind power in the Great Lakes. The two day workshop brought together wind developers, Federal and state regulators, environmental advocates, and other regional stakeholders to discuss methods for ensuring greater clarity, certainty and coordination of Federal and state decision-making for offshore wind development in the Great Lakes.

 

    CEQ Chair Nancy Sutley said, "President Obama has made an unprecedented commitment to renewable energy development in the United States. Increasing our wind power generation is a critical component to building greater energy independence and creating jobs here at home. We must improve and increase the lines of communication to bring wind development in the Great Lakes closer to fruition."

 

    According to a release, more than 100 people participated in the workshop, including representatives from Federal agencies, state governments, energy companies, state Public Service Commissions, wind developers and manufacturers, non-profit organizations and other industry experts. The workshop offered participants an opportunity to: learn more about the role of various Federal agencies in the siting of offshore wind power in the Great Lakes; and clarify the process by which developers, states and other stakeholders can engage federal and state regulators in offshore wind development in the Great Lakes. The workshop concluded with these stakeholders charting a path forward to develop a collaborative process to achieve greater clarity and certainty during Federal decision making with regard to offshore wind development in the Great Lakes.

 

    Access a joint release from the agencies (click here). Access the GLWC website for more information (click here).