The Business Network for Offshore Wind has released a new report highlighting the need for and benefits of developing a strategic, industry-wide approach to collecting and using environmental data in the US offshore wind sector.
The Building a Collaborative Data Strategy for the US Offshore Wind Industry report outlines the positive impact a collaborative approach would have on offshore wind development in the US, making the case for widespread data sharing to increase efficiency industry-wide.
The US industry has ramped up construction, recently celebrating steel in the water on the first two commercial-scale projects, and now sits at a crucial tipping point.
It has become increasingly important for industry stakeholders to consider offshore wind as a collective, critical energy infrastructure system that requires collaboration on data collection strategies, the report states.
This is needed to allow the industry to work together to improve maintenance procedures, turbine efficiency, and cost projections.
The report found that the high value of data to developers has caused some of the current work to collect such information to be done in private, making data less accessible to industry stakeholders.
Furthermore, the industry needs to approach a strategy for environmental data collection, storage, and sharing on a larger, more comprehensive scale to support industry-wide learning, overcome obstacles, and make the permitting process more efficient.
The report concluded that standardisation in data collection is key to ensuring that all stakeholders are able to make full use of lessons learned.
Liz Burdock, president and chief executive of the Business Network for Offshore Wind (pictured) said: “Building a robust US offshore wind market needs an equally robust permitting system that moves projects along in a timely manner and protects the environment.
“Better data is the answer, and this report illustrates the opportunity and urgency for the industry to chart a path towards an environmental data strategy.
“Harnessing data shared in a collaborate fashion can cut down on the permitting timeline and ensure greater environmental stewardship, building public confidence and fostering greater investor confidence in the US market.”