Abstract
The deployment and operation of a floating tidal technology in the United States require assessing environmental conditions and satisfying all environmental permitting requirements. Two locations in the United States are chosen to evaluate the potential for deployment of the Orbital Marine Power Ltd. floating technology: San Juan Islands (Washington) and Western Passage (Maine). This report describes the information gathered on logistical, regulatory, and environmental conditions for siting and deploying the technology in the two locations. In each location, the state and federal regulations required for deploying are defined, as well as the additional requirement for social license. To evaluate the potential for siting and deployment, bathymetry and tidal current velocities are assessed, and the presence of species and critical habitats is defined for each location. This information is then used to evaluate the potential environmental effects of floating tidal technologies in coastal waters of the San Juan Islands and Western Passage. This initial assessment of logistical, regulatory, and environmental conditions for the deployment of a floating tidal technology is a first step toward the achievement of environmental compliance.