Discovery Lecture Series presented by AltaSea and Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
Friday, April 1, 2016
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Outlook on the outer continental shelf for offshore energy
By Dr. Ann Bull, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM),
Chief of Environmental Sciences Section Pacific Region
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is a relatively small agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that is responsible for development of energy from resources over, in, and under the ocean. From deep beneath the Pacific Ocean’s Outer Continental Shelf, oil and gas have been pumped and piped into the U.S. economy and hydrocarbon life-style for most of our lives.
As petroleum reserves mature and production eventually ceases, California society may turn from hydrocarbons to cleaner sources of ocean-based energy. Offshore renewable energy installations convert wave or wind energy to electricity and transfer the power to shore through transmission cables laid on or buried beneath the seafloor. While still a nascent industry in the U.S., installation of offshore wind farms started over 25 years ago in Europe where turbines now supply about 10% of the EU energy needs.
Dr. Bull a career employee for the Department of the Interior in environmental research and assessment, and has been with Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Pacific Region since 2001. Dr. Bull’s research interests center on the ecological influence and effects, on both a local and regional scale, of offshore energy installations and artificial reefs.
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