Offshore Wind Town Hall: Discussing Opportunities for Innovation with Industry
Date: Tuesday, October 18
Time: 1:30-2:50 PM
The offshore wind industry in the United States is young and filled with unsolved problems and opportunities for innovation. The world is already reaping the benefits of creating power from the wind, but now the challenge is to continue lowering the levelized cost of energy produced and improving compatibility with the ocean environment and other activities. Achieving these goals will speed the adoption of OSW as an energy source and grow opportunities for industry and researchers. Join us in this town hall setting where you will hear from industry, have a chance to network, and learn about the newly forming MTS OSW committee.
Moderator / Panelists
Moderator: Josh Kohut
Dr. Josh Kohut earned a B.S. in physics from the College of Charleston and a Ph.D. in physical oceanography from Rutgers University. Josh is currently a professor in the department of marine and coastal sciences at Rutgers University and a member of the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership. He is currently serving as the Vice President for Education on the MTS Board of Directors. Using networks of ocean observing technologies, his research and extension programs focus on the ocean processes that structure marine ecosystems. He is involved in many research and education programs that range in scope from storm intensity, offshore wind, and local water quality monitoring off the NJ coast; regional fisheries along the US east coast; and environmental studies of polar ecosystems in the coastal waters surrounding Antarctica. He has developed relationships across stakeholder groups to ensure his work is collaborative, relevant, and informs applications, decision-making and management of ocean resources.
Rodney Cluck
Dr. Rodney Cluck holds a Ph.D. in environmental sociology from Mississippi State University and a Masters Degree in Rural Sociology from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. For 6 years, beginning in 1999, Dr. Cluck served as the senior Bureau social scientist where he developed and oversaw scientific studies and conducted National Environmental Policy Act analysis. In 2005, Dr. Cluck joined the Office of Renewable Energy Programs and became the project manager for the United States’ first proposed offshore wind facility. Dr. Cluck is currently the Chief of the Division of Environmental Sciences where he leads the Environmental Studies Program, the scientific backbone that informs policy decisions regarding leasing and development of ocean energy.
Mike Lundsgaard
Michale Lundsgaard is responsible for Operations and Maintenance for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Pilot Project and is working closely with the Project Construction team for the Development of the Commercial Offshore Wind Project. Lundsgaard joined the company in 2008 as supervisor – F&HO&M at Yorktown Power Station. He later served as Manager–F&H Site, first at Ladysmith and Remington CT Sites and then for Design, Constructions and Operational phases for the Greensville County Power Station. He was promoted to his current position as Director–Offshore Wind in 2020.
James Fisher
James Fisher has over 14 years of professional experience with marine infrastructure projects involving geoscience and geotechnical engineering. His project experience includes offshore renewable (wind) energy industry, oil and gas industry, and transportation/infrastructure industry at the global level, with completed projects in Australia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Canada, Europe, South America, and US Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific OCS. He has led multiple integrated geophysical and geotechnical projects for offshore developments, including site investigations and characterizations, geohazard assessments, ground model development, and geological studies. James earned his M.S. Engineering Geology from Kent State University (Kent, Ohio), and a B.S. Geophysics from SUNY Fredonia (Fredonia, New York).
Sarah McElman
Sarah is a Sr. Metocean Analyst at Avangrid Renewables. Prior to joining Avangrid, she worked as a researcher in floating offshore wind, contributing to a number of US-EU Joint Industry Projects. Her interests include numerical modeling of unsteady fluids and technology transfer between cultures. She holds a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and an MSc. from Ecole Polytechnique, France.