Wind, wave and, tidal energy are widely regarded as being the ‘good guys’ in energy
production for their carbon neutral qualities. However, lurking in the shadow of this good
reputation is uncertainty about the impacts that this new technology will have on the marine
environment. It could cause a potential conflict between carbon-neutral ...
Wind, wave and, tidal energy are widely regarded as being the ‘good guys’ in energy
production for their carbon neutral qualities. However, lurking in the shadow of this good
reputation is uncertainty about the impacts that this new technology will have on the marine
environment. It could cause a potential conflict between carbon-neutral energy production
and the protection of habitats, and the prevention of biodiversity loss. This article presents
empirical data collected from three case studies in England and Scotland. This research
indicates that the disjointed nature of the consenting processes for offshore renewables does
not encourage full assessment of the cumulative impacts of offshore renewable developments
as required by the European environmental impact assessment legislation. The article
identifies elements of the consenting processes, which fail to provide a full assessment of
cumulative and in-combination impacts, and recommends changes to these processes in
England and Scotland.