Regulating Offshore Electricity Infrastructure in the North Sea:Towards a New Legal Framework

Abstract

Offshore wind farms need to be connected to the onshore electricity grids of the North Sea coastal states. With an increasing amount of wind farms, it becomes beneficial to construct a meshed offshore electricity grid rather than only single point-to-point lines between the windfarm and the coast. However, the legal framework for offshore electricity infrastructure is currently not yet able to facilitate an offshore electricity grid. Therefore, this dissertation discusses how the legal framework for offshore grid should be changed in order to facilitate the cost-effective development of offshore electricity infrastructure. A main conclusion is that a 'North Sea Agreement' is a suitable instrument. The dissertation analyses the possible contents of such an agreement using a qualitative informal cost benefit analysis