Company Profile
TWB Environmental Research and Consulting (TWB) is a small, nimble, and accessible consultancy offering regulatory guidance to industries that withdraw and discharge water for seawater desalination, power generation, or other industrial processes. TWB helps clients understand the regulatory questions being asked and formulate and execute a compliance strategy, focusing on securing permits in the most scientifically-defensible and cost-effective manner. As permitting is a complex, state-specific process requiring multiple scientific disciplines, TWB brings extensive experience with federal and state regulations and a network of well-respected partners to each project.Focus on seawater desalination and power generation water intakes. TWB has worked with most of California’s seawater desalination developers as well as with the principal regulatory authorities overseeing desalination in California, including State Water Resources Control Board, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, California Coastal Commission, and California State Lands Commission. TWB has particular expertise in the California Ocean Plan Amendment that governs the development of seawater desalination facilities in California as well as section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act which governs impacts associated with cooling water intake structures in the steam electric power industry.
STAFF
Timothy Hogan, MS
Principal and Owner
TWB’s principal and owner, Tim Hogan, has 22 years of experience in the protection of marine life at industrial water intakes and discharges. He has spoken locally and globally on the topics of intake and discharge impacts to marine life and intake system operation and maintenance.
Focus on seawater desalination. Tim has worked with many seawater desalination plant developers including many years assisting Poseidon with the permitting requirements of the Carlsbad Desalination Plant (one of the first to be put through the Ocean Plan Amendment process in CA). He has helped desalination project proponents comply with the letter of the law, but also meet the unwritten expectations of the regulators. He provides integration among the multiple disciplines working on these projects and functions as the bridge between the regulatory, engineering, hydraulic, and biological disciplines.
Focus on power generation. Tim works closely with steam electric power plants on projects designed to ensure compliance with EPA Clean Water Act section 316(b). In addition, a dedicated area of TWB research has been on maintaining reliable cooling water intake equipment in the face of gradual environmental change. Maintaining efficient operation of intake screening equipment (e.g., at nuclear power plants) is critical to avoiding costly derates and shutdowns due to loss of cooling water flow.
PARTNERS
CLIENTS
