Rutgers Energy Institute Symposium: Developing Offshore Wind – notes

Rutgers Energy Institute Symposium: Developing Offshore Wind – notes

v. good to see the progress and evolution of REI
New (2018) 100,000sf Week’s Engineering bldg is beautiful
Prabhas Moghe: good points re: fostering collaboration, innovation, and expanding reach
His focus (as vice chair for research & innovation) centers on promoting and growing RU engineering as a network of inventors and innovators…this includes connection to commercial sector.
-Listening to him talk, I really like his vision

Glenn: Power of Partnerships, offshore wind, etc
-discipline of ocean observing: started at Rutgers (see work of Fred Grassle)
-Tuckerton Research Station (est 1989). Model for interdisciplinary research via Long Term Observatory

-The RU Slocum Glider fleet….still collecting!

-First cabled observatory in the world
-All of this observational infrastructure is vital as cornerstone of offshore wind
-blend science, engineering, commerce (need all three)
-(very effective) pitch for ocean science, engineering and economic development at Rutgers
-2017: NJ power distribution. 45% nuclear 50% natgas, renewable v. small
-offshore wind – largely untapped resource.
-GEOLOGY MATTERS: shallow/wide continental shelf helps for tower location
-COMMERCE MATTERS: port traffic navigation a challenge for site selection
-ecology considerations: fisheries, whale migrations, Watertown flyway, etc…
-hurricane vulnerability: we can track well, poor at estimating intensity
-NJ goal – 50% renewable by 2030. Only New York is higher in midatlantic
-Wind Innovation Working Group: 16 units across Rutgers
-RU Oceanography: 2nd largest global Radar network, 500 Gliders (largest in world ex:Navy)
-data: http://mosaic.njaes.rutgers.edu/rucool-bpu/

Carlton: good air quality discussion
-good she mentioned food security. How to quantify negative externalities?
-elec generation & air quality, focus on O3/PM2.5
-chemical speciation knowledge growing, but still much is not well understood
-much of the PM2.5 is SO4 wrt power generation
-electricity sector emissions not as well characterized as one might think

Ohleth: stakeholders, market maker for renewable nrg in new jersey


-Orsted: Danish renewable company (formerly O&G). Expanding in US -> NJ specifically
– benefits of offshore wind well defined – why has it not happened (en masse) yet?
-NJ already has high elec costs, OSW even higher, so delta for commercial side smaller
-stresses partnerships w Universities & research organizations crucial to success
-divesting all oil&gas assets by 2023
-couple development & conservation. Pioneering underwater acoustics research
-stakeholder sensitivity: view-shed impacts, cost, ecological considerations
-cost recovery with scale: 60% reduction in supply chain costs (didn’t get timeframe)
-data sharing (open-access) a great benefit for oceanography & meteorology science and engineering, material science and ocean economics communities

Panel: good, but would have benefitted with some structured questions. Too many questioners seemed like they wanted to just hear themselves talk (as is oftentimes the case).

Overall, very interesting and promising day.  Huge thanks to the REI for organizing a fantastic event.

+bonus: great to run into my PhD advisor Jim Miller at the event!

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