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www.sname.org/sname/mt July 2013 ? hydroacoustic monitoring in the near eld (from the deployment barge) and at various far eld ranges (100, 1,000, and 2,000 m)? marine mammal observations located on vessels anchored around the installation site for all pile driv- ing activity and additionally from land stations for three events ? marine mammal mitigation measures ? bird survey from nearby shore. Results of monitoring during pile driving activities demonstrated minimal impact to the environment. Source levels measured during impact and vibratory pile driving were below the thresholds of concern for Atlantic salmon smolt. Although there were sightings of birds and harbor seals in the vicinity of the project area both before and after pile driving, their responses to pile driving noise were minimal. Mitigation measures used during pile driving were successful in maintaining acoustic source lev- els within acceptable ranges and minimizing impacts to the environment. ese measures included wood sound absorption devices installed in the head of the impact hammer and a soft start? that initiated pile driv- ing at less than 100% energy for both hammer types. In addition, modications made by the contractor to the physical connection between the pile and the follower alleviated initial acoustic spikes. First report In March 2013, ORPC submitted its rst annual envi- ronmental monitoring report for the project to FERC. e report details the construction, installation, and operational activities of the projects phase I and describes environmental monitoring conducted, including methods used, and the vital role of the proj- ects adaptive management team. Results to date indicate signicant achievements that contribute to our overall understanding of device inter- actions in Cobscook Bay, and there was no observed adverse interaction of the power system with the marine environment. e entire monitoring report can be found at http://www.orpc.co/permitting_doc/environmental report_Mar2013.pdf Power purchase agreement e power purchase agreement is the mechanism that enables ORPC to bring electricity to market through a long-term contract with Bangor Hydro Electric Company. This opportunity was made possible by Maines Ocean Energy Act of 2010, which allowed up to 5 MW of tidal energy production. is was adopted into law unanimously by the Maine legislature, who viewed it as a vital economic development tool. In imple- menting the legislation, the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) established criteria that struc- tured the terms and conditions of the contract and then administered an international competition for tidal energy developers through a request for proposal pro- cess. e PUC selected ORPC, noting that the economic benets of our project exceeded the ratepayer cost over the life of the contract by a factor of nearly two. Hydrokinetic technologies have the poten- tial to harness a vast but as yet untapped renewable energy resource. Nearly 70% of the earth is covered by water; most of this water moves constantly and predictably, and some of it moves with great force. Tidal, river, and deep-water ocean currents flow in all regions of the world, often near major pop- ulation centers where electricity is in constant demand. Along with other hydrokinetic technol- ogy companies, we are just beginning to exploit this tremendous worldwide market opportunity. MT Jarlath McEntee is vice president of engineering and chief technology of- ?cer at Ocean Renewable Power Company. ABOVE: A turbine is prepped for installation at the Cobscook Bay proje ct. PHOTO BY JEFF HAINS. BELOW: The bottom support frame being deployed on the seabed in March 2012.