Regulating marine renewable energy development: a preliminary assessment of UK permitting processes

Abstract

While the UK has implemented a number of reforms to permitting processes to support the emerging marine renewable energy industry, research into the effectiveness of such reforms has been limited. The present paper presents a preliminary assessment of two key aspects of the UK’s regulatory framework: the seabed leasing process and the permitting process. In particular, the Crown Estate seabed leasing process and Scotland’s ‘one-stop shop’ for permitting are discussed. Some concluding thoughts are given regarding the efficacy of these processes, laying the foundation for further research and analysis.