Preliminary Areas for Offshore Wind Transmission Cable Corridors, 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan
Metadata also available as
Metadata:
- Identification_Information:
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- Citation:
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- Citation_Information:
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- Originator: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
- Publication_Date: 20150106
- Title:
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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:
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- Citation_Information:
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- Originator:
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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:
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- Abstract:
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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:
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These data were used in the development of the 2015 Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan.
- Supplemental_Information:
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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:
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- Time_Period_Information:
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- Single_Date/Time:
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- Calendar_Date: 20150106
- Currentness_Reference: publication date
- Status:
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- Progress: Complete
- Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed
- Spatial_Domain:
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- Bounding_Coordinates:
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- West_Bounding_Coordinate: -71.022438
- East_Bounding_Coordinate: -70.371902
- North_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.730773
- South_Bounding_Coordinate: 41.198562
- Keywords:
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- Theme:
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- 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:
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- Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Categories
- Theme_Keyword: oceans
- Theme_Keyword: utilitiesCommunication
- Place:
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- 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:
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- Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:
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NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0
- Place_Keyword:
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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:
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None. These data are in the public domain. GIS files are freely available for download.
- Use_Constraints:
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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:
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- Contact_Information:
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- Contact_Organization_Primary:
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- Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
- Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
- Contact_Address:
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- 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:
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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:
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Microsoft Windows 7 Version 6.1 (Build 7601) Service Pack 1; Esri ArcGIS 10.2.2.3552
- Data_Quality_Information:
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- Attribute_Accuracy:
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- Attribute_Accuracy_Report: The attribute data were checked for valid values.
- Logical_Consistency_Report:
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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:
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This dataset contains the entire spatial extent of the preliminary areas for offshore wind transmission cable corridors in state waters.
- Positional_Accuracy:
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- Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
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- Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report: A positional accuracy report was not conducted for these data.
- Lineage:
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- Process_Step:
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- Process_Description:
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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:
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- Contact_Information:
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- 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:
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- Process_Description:
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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:
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- Contact_Information:
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- Contact_Organization_Primary:
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- 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:
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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:
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- Process_Description:
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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:
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- Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
- Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
- Contact_Address:
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- 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
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Table containing attribute information associated with the dataset.
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Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
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- Contact_Information:
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- Contact_Organization_Primary:
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- Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
- Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
- Contact_Address:
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- 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:
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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.
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- Network_Resource_Name: <http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/map_ol/mass_ocean_plan.php>
- Fees:
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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:
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- Metadata_Date: 20150116
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- Contact_Organization_Primary:
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- Contact_Organization: Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
- Contact_Position: CZM Data Manager
- Contact_Address:
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- 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
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Generated by mp version 2.9.12 on Fri Jan 16 16:35:55 2015