Preliminary Areas for Offshore Wind Transmission Cable Corridors, 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan

Metadata also available as

Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Publication_Date: 20150106
Title:
Preliminary Areas for Offshore Wind Transmission Cable Corridors, 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
Online_Linkage: <http://www.mass.gov/eea/mop>
Online_Linkage: <http://www.mass.gov/czm/mapping/index.htm>
Larger_Work_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Publication_Date: 20150106
Title: 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan
Online_Linkage: <http://www.mass.gov/eea/mop>
Description:
Abstract:
These data represent the preliminary areas for offshore wind transmission cable corridors mapped in the 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan. One of the goals of the 2015 ocean plan was to advance the planning and siting of offshore wind energy transmission corridor(s) to bring renewable energy from the projects in federal waters across state waters to landside grid tie-in location(s). Significant work went in to the planning and identification of appropriate potential transmission corridor routes for the 2015 ocean plan, including a compatibility assessment, screening analysis, and optimization tool. The transmission corridor routes identified through that process will be the focus of additional characterization, investigation, and assessment work, synchronized with the next stages in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) process, including leasing, site assessment, and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis. In the first part of the siting method, the lease areas within the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (MA WEA) and Rhode Island/ Massachusetts Wind Energy Area (RI/MA WEA), as delineated by BOEM, were used as the areas of origin, and the Canal Substation in Sandwich was identified as the target top-tier substation destination. Through the compatibility assessment and screening analysis, areas to avoid and areas of concern were identified based on potential biological and physical environmental impacts, incompatibilities, limitations and specifications of transmission cable installation operations, and/or adverse interactions with existing uses and sites to avoid. The following areas to avoid were identified: 1) North Atlantic right whale core habitat special, sensitive, or unique (SSU) resource, 2) humpback whale core habitat SSU resource, 3) fin whale core habitat SSU resource, 4) hard/complex seafloor SSU resource, 5) eelgrass SSU resource, 6) intertidal flats SSU resource, 7) areas of rock from surficial sediment dataset, 8) anchorage areas (C, D, L, and M), 9) aquaculture sites, 10) Nomans Danger Zone, 11) Cape Wind lease area, 12) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers disposal sites, and 13) water depth less than 16 feet (limitations to cable installation vessels due to draft, currents, navigational hazards). The following areas of concern were identified: 1) important fish resources SSU resource, 2) cable areas and existing cables with 250-m buffers, and 3) pipeline areas and existing pipelines with 500-m buffers. The optimization analysis then generated routes that would steer clear of the areas to avoid while minimizing cable distance. Because potential landfall locations fall outside the planning area and there are many available options (and therefore uncertainty) related to specific sites, the 2015 ocean plan focuses on the planning area and identifies routes that fall outside the areas to avoid.
Purpose:
These data were used in the development of the 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan.
Supplemental_Information:
The Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan protects critical marine habitat and important water-dependent uses and sets standards for new ocean-based development. In response to the Oceans Act of 2008, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) issued the original ocean plan in December 2009. The Oceans Act requires EEA to review and update the ocean plan at least once every five years. The 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, released on January 6, 2015, is the first formal amendment to the 2009 ocean plan. These data were produced to support the development of the 2015 ocean plan.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Single_Date/Time:
Calendar_Date: 20150106
Currentness_Reference: publication date
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.022438
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.371902
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.730773
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.198562
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: cable
Theme_Keyword: coastal zone management
Theme_Keyword: CZM
Theme_Keyword: EBM
Theme_Keyword: ecosystem-based management
Theme_Keyword: EEA
Theme_Keyword: EOEEA
Theme_Keyword: Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Theme_Keyword: marine spatial planning
Theme_Keyword: Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan
Theme_Keyword: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Theme_Keyword: MSP
Theme_Keyword: ocean management
Theme_Keyword: ocean plan
Theme_Keyword: Oceans Act of 2008
Theme_Keyword: submarine cable
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Categories
Theme_Keyword: oceans
Theme_Keyword: utilitiesCommunication
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: U.S. Board on Geographic Names
Place_Keyword: Atlantic Ocean
Place_Keyword: Bigelow Bight
Place_Keyword: Buzzards Bay
Place_Keyword: Cape Cod Bay
Place_Keyword: Gulf of Maine
Place_Keyword: Massachusetts
Place_Keyword: Massachusetts Bay
Place_Keyword: Nantucket Sound
Place_Keyword: North America
Place_Keyword: United States
Place_Keyword: Vineyard Sound
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:
NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0
Place_Keyword:
CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > MASSACHUSETTS
Place_Keyword: OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
Place_Keyword: OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF MAINE
Access_Constraints:
None. These data are in the public domain. GIS files are freely available for download.
Use_Constraints:
Public domain data from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), are freely redistributable with proper metadata and source attribution. Please recognize the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management as the source of these data. You are not permitted to use CZM's name or to suggest that CZM endorses your project or product, without its express written consent. While efforts have been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the state of the art, CZM cannot assume liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by any inaccuracies in the data or as a result of changes to the data caused by system transfers. The user must be aware of data conditions and bear responsibility for the appropriate use of these data with respect to possible errors, original map scale, collection methodology, currency of data, and other conditions specific to these data. NOAA mandated language per federal Data Quality Act (DQA): These environmental data and related items of information have not been formally disseminated by NOAA and do not represent and should not be construed to represent any agency determination, view, or policy.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800
City: Boston
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02114-2138
Country: US
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 617-626-1200
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 617-626-1240
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: czm@state.ma.us
Hours_of_Service: 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs EST
Data_Set_Credit:
These spatial data were created by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA).
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
Microsoft Windows 7 Version 6.1 (Build 7601) Service Pack 1; Esri ArcGIS 10.2.2.3552
Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report: The attribute data were checked for valid values.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
All vector data are presumed to be topologically clean based on a validation of relevant topology rule(s) and visual inspection. No duplicate features exist. The data were visually inspected for missing features and misplaced features.
Completeness_Report:
This dataset contains the entire spatial extent of the preliminary areas for offshore wind transmission cable corridors in state waters.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report: A positional accuracy report was not conducted for these data.
Lineage:
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
1. The preliminary areas for offshore wind transmission cable corridors were created in ArcGIS using a least cost path analysis. This analysis determines the least-cost path from a destination to a source. First, the destination and source data were mapped. The northern, exterior lines of the potential four lease areas for the MA WEA were used as the destinations. These potential lease areas are shown as Alternative 1 in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Assessment of Offshore Wind Energy Leasing Areas for BOEM Massachusetts Wind Energy Area. Canal Substation in Sandwich was identified as the target top-tier substation for the analysis. There are many available options for potential landfall locations, so five sections of shoreline (three along Buzzards Bay in Bourne and Falmouth, two along Vineyard Sound/Nantucket Sound in Falmouth and Mashpee) were mapped as potential landfall locations and used as sources in the analysis.
Process_Date: 20140911
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800
City: Boston
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02114-2138
Country: US
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 617-626-1200
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 617-626-1240
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: czm@state.ma.us
Hours_of_Service: 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs EST
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
2. The areas to avoid and areas of concern were combined to create a cost surface raster, which includes the cost of traveling through each cell. Each dataset was converted to a raster if necessary and then reclassified and given a value based on the relative cost of crossing the area. All of the individual rasters were added together to create a final cost raster.
Process_Date: 20140911
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800
City: Boston
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02114-2138
Country: US
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 617-626-1200
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 617-626-1240
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: czm@state.ma.us
Hours_of_Service: 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs EST
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
3. The least cost path was calculated using the Cost Distance and Cost Path tools. Variations of the least cost path were run using different sources (i.e., landing locations) and cost rasters (used to force the path up Buzzards Bay or Vineyard Sound).
Process_Date: 20140911
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800
City: Boston
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02114-2138
Country: US
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 617-626-1200
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 617-626-1240
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: czm@state.ma.us
Hours_of_Service: 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs EST
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
4. The least cost paths were converted to lines and simplified. The paths were then buffered 250 m to create 500-m wide corridors. Because potential landfall locations fall outside the planning area and there are many available options (and therefore uncertainty) related to specific sites, the preliminary corridor areas were expanded to include wider areas closer to the landward boundary of the planning area.
Process_Date: 20140911
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800
City: Boston
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02114-2138
Country: US
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 617-626-1200
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 617-626-1240
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: czm@state.ma.us
Hours_of_Service: 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs EST
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
SDTS_Terms_Description:
SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: GT-polygon composed of chains
Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 2
Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Planar:
Map_Projection:
Map_Projection_Name: NAD 1983 StatePlane Massachusetts Mainland FIPS 2001
Lambert_Conformal_Conic:
Standard_Parallel: 41.71666666666667
Standard_Parallel: 42.68333333333333
Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -71.5
Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 41.0
False_Easting: 200000.0
False_Northing: 750000.0
Planar_Coordinate_Information:
Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: coordinate pair
Coordinate_Representation:
Abscissa_Resolution: 0.000000008155898179040834
Ordinate_Resolution: 0.000000008155898179040834
Planar_Distance_Units: meter
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: D North American 1983
Ellipsoid_Name: GRS 1980
Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.0
Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222101
Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: Attribute Table
Entity_Type_Definition:
Table containing attribute information associated with the dataset.
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: CZM
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: FID
Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.
Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain:
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: Shape
Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.
Attribute_Definition_Source: Esri
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: DATASET
Attribute_Definition: Dataset description.
Attribute_Definition_Source: CZM
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Unrepresentable_Domain: Description of features.
Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800
City: Boston
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02114-2138
Country: US
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 617-626-1200
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 617-626-1240
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: czm@state.ma.us
Hours_of_Service: 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs EST
Distribution_Liability:
Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of these data, errors and conditions originating from physical sources used to develop these data may be reflected in the data supplied. The client must be aware of data conditions and bear responsibility for the appropriate use of the information with respect to possible errors, original map scale, collection methodology, currency of data, and other conditions specific to certain data. In no event shall CZM be liable for any damages, whether general, special, incidental or consequential damages, arising out of your use of these data. Your sole remedy for damages is to stop using the data. You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CZM and its employees against any claim, loss, liability or expense, including attorneys' fees, resulting from loss of or damage to property or the injury to or death of any person arising out of the use of the data. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the CZM.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: Vector Digital Data (Polygon)
Format_Version_Number: ArcGIS 8.x, 9.x, and 10.x
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: <http://www.mass.gov/czm/mapping/index.htm>
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: <http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/map_ol/mass_ocean_plan.php>
Fees:
GIS and coordinate files may be downloaded at no charge by following links on the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management website (<http://www.mass.gov/czm/>).
Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20150116
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 251 Causeway Street, Suite 800
City: Boston
State_or_Province: MA
Postal_Code: 02114-2138
Country: US
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 617-626-1200
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 617-626-1240
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: czm@state.ma.us
Hours_of_Service: 0900 hrs to 1600 hrs EST
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Time_Convention: local time
Generated by mp version 2.9.12 on Fri Jan 16 16:35:55 2015