NextWind Real-time Monitoring System
Summary
SCH Number
2020060210
Public Agency
California Energy Commission
Document Title
NextWind Real-time Monitoring System
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/11/2020
Document Description
The purpose of this Agreement is to establish a digital foundation or digital twin, of a floating offshore wind installation enabling continuous improvements in production optimization, lower levelized cost of energy and do so with a better understanding of the environmental impact and mitigations of these impacts. The configuration of this holistic digital platform connects and extracts real-time data through the wind offshore operational lifecycle combining and contextualizing static and dynamic data can influence directly the leveled cost of energy via reduced operational and maintenance costs, therefore, reducing the California rate payers direct cost of electricity, and additionally gaining a better understanding of and mitigating the environmental impacts of such systems. This digital representation of a physical asset shall make available data for the overall wind farm integrity management and conditioning monitoring in real time, as well as wildlife interactions to detect and develop strategies to avoid or minimize environmental impact.
Contact Information
Name
Silvia Palma-Rojas
Agency Name
California Energy Commission
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Agency Name
Aker Solutions, Inc.
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Location
Cities
Houston, TX 77042
Other Location Info
Houston, TX 77042, Harris County
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15306
Reasons for Exemption
This project involves the development and configuration of a digital platform designed to extract and contextualize data from offshore wind installations to better understand likely energy usage, environmental impacts, etc. of offshore wind projects. A digital representation of an offshore wind installation will be used instead of an existing, physical asset. This project involves no actual physical installation or similar activity and is instead limited to data collection and research conducted digitally.
This project is therefore categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15306 as basic data collection, research, and resource evaluation activities that do not result in serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. The project is also exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), i.e. the “common sense exemption”, because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the project may have a significant effect on the environment. Further, none of the exceptions to exemptions listed in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 applies to this project.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
(Cal. Code Regs., tit 14, §15061(b)(3))
Reasons for Exemption
This project involves the development and configuration of a digital platform designed to extract and contextualize data from offshore wind installations to better understand likely energy usage, environmental impacts, etc. of offshore wind projects. A digital representation of an offshore wind installation will be used instead of an existing, physical asset. This project involves no actual physical installation or similar activity and is instead limited to data collection and research conducted digitally.
This project is therefore categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15306 as basic data collection, research, and resource evaluation activities that do not result in serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. The project is also exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), i.e. the “common sense exemption”, because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility the project may have a significant effect on the environment. Further, none of the exceptions to exemptions listed in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2 applies to this project.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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