ocean observations
Offshore Renewable Energy: Can it Happen Here?
An Interview with Sam De Bow Jr. (below), the Director of Rhode Island's New Center of Excellence for Research on Offshore Renewable Energy (RORE)
Steve Withrow has been involved in creating market opportunities and growing businesses in the global marine science & technology (MS&T) sector for nearly 30 years. Steve launched his career in the MS&T industry in 1979, holding seniorlevel management positions with a number of defense-related and commercial ocean technology companies prior to establishing his own consulting business in 1997. Today, through his consulting company, Trinity International Consultants, Inc., Steve is focused on helping his clients identify and capitalize on new areas of economic and technological growth and opportunity in the everexpanding global MS&T market.
Based upon a very unscientific opinion survey that I've conducted over the past several months, I believe that it's safe to say that most of us in the Marine Science & Technology (MS&T) sector consider ourselves proponents of offshore renewable energy. After all, other than a relatively small number of NIMBY folks, who consider the construction of oceanbased energy conversion facilities such as wind turbines an insult to the eyes and a threat to waterfront property values, what's not to like about it? It's sort of like asking people what they think of Mother's Day - or what they would say to a nice big tax cut. For the majority of us, it seems like it's just a "gut" thing; a growing feeling that the time has come to really get serious about investing in new, sustainable energy alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear power. Politically, economically, environmentally, socially -- through whatever filter you choose to view it -- continuing to foster and depend upon our country's out-dated (and risky) energy policies simply doesn't make much sense to many of us anymore. I must admit, however, that during my informal survey I received a much less confident and collective response when I inquired as to whether or not most of us truly understand and appreciate the technological, political or economic challenges that will be involved in successfully establishing and
growing this emerging energy sector to the level that it will need to be raised in order to even begin to satisfy our growing energy demands - or to begin to stem our dependency on our current energy sources. Still feeling the need to seek additional knowledge about these issues, I was excited to learn that a long-time friend and colleague, Sam De Bow Jr., was recently appointed as Director of the new Center of Excellence for Research on Offshore Renewable Energy (RORE) based at the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography (URI/GSO) in Narragansett, RI. As former Director of both the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations prior to his retirement as Rear Admiral in 2007, Sam brings a wealth of technical knowledge, organizational talent and leadership skills to his new position. The attribute that I personally think will serve him best at RORE, however, is the honest, realistic and straight-forward management style that has always been his trademark. Sam's chief focus at RORE will be on coordinating and expanding URI's research in the area of ocean energy, while positioning the State of Rhode Island as the national leader in this area. So, hoping to acquire some of Sam's unique insight into the complexities and challenges of this new technology area, I recently made
March 2009
12 MTR
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