8 



considered in joint Interior-NOPS hearings proposed for March and 

 April. If successful, this practice will continue to be employed on 

 other issues before the Study to assure that NOPS recommendations 

 and proposals are subjected to the closest possible scrutiny and criti- 

 cism. 



3. CONSIDERATION OF NON-PETROLEUM, OCEAN -RELATED ENERGY SOURCES 

 TO COMPLIMENT THE OIL AND GAS RESOURCES OF THE CONTINENTAL 

 SHELF 



It is apparent that the development of the Nation's oil and gas 

 resources in the continental shelf is not without real dangers to the 

 coastal and marine environment. In addition to finding petroleum 

 substitutes for continental shelf oil and gas resources, NOPS plans 

 to examine the feasibility of developing nonpetroleum energy alterna- 

 tives to complement continental shelf oil and gas resources, coal and 

 other traditional forms of energy. 



Non-petroleum ocean-related energy sources include thermal gradi- 

 ents (a form of solar energy); offshore wind-powered generators; 

 tides, waves, and currents; hydrogen production; salinity gradients; 

 and osmotic pressure effects. Of these, probably only thermal gradients 

 and wind power have potential for significant intermediate-term (to 

 the year 2000) contributions to national energy supply requirements. 



The House Committee on Science and Astronautics (now the Com- 

 mittee on Science and Technology) held hearings in 1974 3 on the 

 technological aspects of solar sea thermal energy. Existing techno- 

 logical problems are not insurmountable, in fact, technology ap- 

 parently exists to produce solar sea thermal energy in commercially- 

 acceptable amounts, although working engineering systems have not 

 as yet been demonstrated. Thus, development of a feasible national 

 program in solar sea thermal energy production requires the develop- 

 ment of workable demonstration programs and, then, commercial 

 systems. 



Because ocean thermal gradient energy production could conceiv- 

 ably contribute up to about ten percent or more of national electricity 

 demands by the year 2000, and because such an energy supply could 

 complement or substitute for oil and gas energy production in the con- 

 tinental shelf, the Committee now may wish to investigate more 

 thoroughly the potentials of this and related ocean energy sources, 

 particularly wind energy production. 



NOPS examination of the intermediate-term potential for com- 

 mercial development of non-petroleum, ocean related energy sources 

 could be preceded by preliminary background analyses of the state of 

 present technology, key issues of congressional concern, and sum- 

 maries of current research efforts in this area. 



4. CONSIDERATION OF THE ISSUES OF ACCESS TO BEACHES AND ISLANDS 



AND THEIR RECREATIONAL USE 



Over the past several years Congressional legislative proposals and 

 hearings have dealt with the issue of public access to the Nation's pub- 



3 U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Astronautics. Subcommittee on Energy. 

 Solar Sea Thermal Energy. Hearing, 93d Congress, 2d Session. May 23, 1974. Washington, 

 U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1974. 134 p. 



