Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management 1971-2006

Energy Use and Facility Siting

The Coastal Resources Center carried out a number of studies on energy use, facility siting and marine spatial planning related to power plant siting, offshore oil exploration and alternative energy options during the 1970s and 1980s.

The highly influential study of the potential impact of offshore oil development Fishing and Petroleum Interactions on Georges Bank is presented below in sections.  The original two volume study outline is as follows:

Fishing and Petroleum Interactions on Georges Bank Volume I: Areas of particular interest to the industries is a pioneering compilation of fishing data overlain on tracts being offered for lease.

Fishing and Petroleum Interactions on Georges Bank Volume II: The Characteristics of the Two Industries: Potential Future Trends and an Assessment of Foreseeable Conflicts was produced for the New England Regional Commission in 1977.

  • Introduction
  • Section 1:   Petroleum, Fisheries and the Georges Bank Environment by Stephen Olsen and Dale Brown; Appendix A, An Analysis of Data from the National Marine Fisheries Service Groundfish Survey for Use in Assessing Oil-Related Environmental Impacts by Robert A. Pikanowski
  • Section 2:   A Profile of New England Ports by Stephen Olsen and Thomas Grigalunas
  • Section 3:   An Overview of New England’s Commercial Fisheries by Stephen Olsen
  • Section 4:   The Future of the New England Fishing Industry Under Extended Jurisdiction by Virgil Norton
  • Section 5:   Northeast Recreational Fisheries by Henry Parker
  • Section 6:   Foreign Fisheries on Georges Bank by Stephen Sedgwick
  • Section 7:   The Potential Characteristics of Petroleum Exploration and Development on Georges Bank by Thomas Grigalunas
  • Section 8:   The Potential Impact on Commercial Fisheries of Ground Pre-empted by Petroleum-Related Structures on Georges Bank by Stephen Olsen; Appendix A, Fishing Vessel Maneuverability Studies by Saul B. Saila and Tadcusz Kowalski; Appendix B, Submarine Pipeline Studies by Tadeusz Kowalski and Saul B. Saila
  • Section 9:   The Potential Impact of Oil Related Debris on the New England Fishing Industry by Jon Sutinen
  • Section 10:   Competition for Labor Between the Petroleum and Fishing Industries in New England by Jon Sutinen and Thomas Grigalunas
  • Section 11 Potential Interactions: Ports and Vessel Repair Facilities by Thomas Grigalunas

Information on a related article:  Public Involvement in offshore oil development: lessons from New England  by V. Tippie and D. Robadue, 1980.

The energy use and facility siting regulations currently in force by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council were prepared originally by CRC in 1978 and amended in 1982.