Socio‐economic, legal, and political context of offshore renewable energies

Abstract

Offshore renewable energies have been identified as important clean sources of energy in line with sustainable development goals. However, their use can generate conflicts with other maritime activities, as well as the protection of biodiversity and the marine environment. This article analyses the influence of regulatory frameworks and ocean governance in the implementation of such devices, from a legal–political point of view. In this sense, it studies how the law of the sea addresses potential international conflicts between ocean energy installations and other activities (e.g., navigation) developed by other states. It also studies the importance of preventive legal tools—marine spatial planning, strategic environmental assessment, and environmental impact assessment—to anticipate and reduce clashes with other sea users as well as environmental damages that may be caused by these structures. Likewise, this research analyses different national consent procedures and legal–economic supporting schemes, to identify those that boost the implementation of such projects more quickly. Finally, the relevance of enhancing the involvement of affected coastal communities and local stakeholders in the decision‐making processes, as well as in the socio‐economic benefits of offshore renewable energy projects to increase their social acceptance, is also emphasized.