Environmental considerations in offshore wind licensing

This chapter focuses on the procedures used to address potential environmental impacts of offshore wind. Firstly, the different types of environmental assessment which are used by developers and regulators, namely Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) are presented. Given the success of offshore wind in the EU, the EU EIA process is detailed according to the steps involved, covering baseline studies, the contents of the EIA report, mitigation and monitoring options, and public involvement. This is framed by a short overview of the main positive and negative environmental impacts of offshore wind. SEA is used less frequently but could be better utilised at higher planning levels. Appropriate Assessment (AA), deriving from the EU’s nature conservation legislation, demonstrates how explicit species and habitats are accounted for in regulatory processes. The chapter concludes with suggestions on how assessment processes should evolve to be more holistic.