The Law and Policy of Floating Offshore Wind

This book provides a multi-jurisdictional analysis of the role of law in accelerating the development of floating offshore wind energy. With ongoing technological advancements in the context of the energy transition, floating offshore wind represents a significant advancement in the global transition towards sustainable energy. Debates around the inherent ecological tensions raised by fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines, as well as the value of deeper offshore wind exploration, are considered alongside unanswered questions on the complexity of the marine environment and its governance in relation to the deployment of floating offshore wind energy. Other questions focus on marine spatial planning, licensing and permitting procedures, and the safety of installing and maintaining complex offshore energy infrastructure. Although these issues partially coincide with those related to traditional bottom-fixed installation, the book provides an opportunity to test the extent to which traditional legal and regulatory strategies may or may not be suited to the fast-growing deployment of floating offshore wind energy. Written by experts across multiple jurisdictions where floating projects are being developed, the book unlocks new thinking on regulatory modelling and design at a time when floating wind is expected to resolve the complexity of the Energy Quadrilemma.