Call for Papers for a Book on Regulatory
Regulatory Challenges for Sustainable
and Resilient Offshore Wind Energy
A Comparative Review
The project "Regulatory challenges for deploying sustainable and resilient offshore wind energy (SOFTMAR)" of the State Subprogram for Knowledge Generation 2023, by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Spain), ref. PID2023-146619OB-100, invites the European and international academic community to submit unpublished papers for the collective work "Regulatory Challenges for Sustainable and Resilient Offshore Wind Energy. A Comparative Review".
Offshore wind energy is facing challenging times as geopolitical tensions are adding to the threat of climate change. Following membership of Nato, Sweden vetoed plans for a dozen offshore windfarms due to security risks. On his first day in office, the President of the United States paused permits for offshore wind. The uncertainty has led offshore wind developers and wind turbine manufacturers to rethink their investment plans, while countries, such as the United Kingdom and Denmark, have engaged in a constructive dialogue with the industry with a view to keeping up the momentum with more attractive incentives and better regulatory conditions.
The European Union (EU) has a large maritime space to deploy offshore renewables in each of the sea basins: The North Sea, the Baltic, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Offshore wind energy is to play a key role in ensuring decarbonisation, security of supply and reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports. If the world is to achieve the 1.5ºC target of the Paris Agreement, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has noted that 500 GW of offshore wind installed capacity will be needed by 2030, and 2465 GW by 2050. Yet, the rollout of offshore wind can be delayed due to supply chain bottlenecks, the International Energy Agency has warned.
In this context, the Book will aim to review the multiple challenges that the deployment of offshore wind is facing, as well as the regulatory solutions that are being considered by the EU and countries across the world to overcome the obstacles that this industry is facing at this critical time.
The structure of the collective work in the form of a book will follow the design of the SOFTMAR project. In particular, original and unpublished studies may address regulatory issues in four key areas for the deployment of offshore wind energy:
1. Maritime governance and spatial planning:
- Maritime spatial planning. Rules for the coexistence of offshore wind with other activities.
- Offshore governance and renewable energies.
- Strategies for offshore wind projects in sites with underwater or coastal cultural heritage.
- Determining the safety strategy for offshore wind farms as critical infrastructure.
2. Offshore wind and protection of the marine environment:
- Offshore wind energy and local ecosystem services.
- Impacts of the offshore wind industry on local economies.
- The appropriate assessment of art. 6 of the EU Habitats Directive.
- Strategic environmental assessment of offshore wind plans and projects, and environmental impact assessment of projects.
- Compatibility of offshore wind projects with marine strategies.
- Regime of marine noise pollution and offshore wind.
3. Offshore wind licensing:
- The offshore electricity grid system and the access and connection to the offshore wind farm grids.
- Concession and authorization regimes.
- The value chain.
4. Offshore wind electricity markets and project financing:
- Offshore wind auction schemes.
- Long-term contracting for offshore wind.
- Public support for offshore wind.
Submission of Proposals
Authors should send their proposals in English to the PI of the project, Alberto Olivares (
The deadline for sending the communication is April 4, 2025.
Together with the communication of acceptance of the submitted abstract, the authors will receive information on chapters formatting and citation rules of the publisher in which the Book will be published.
On April 14, 2025, you will be informed via email about your proposal's acceptance or not.
In case of acceptance, the book chapter must be submitted by September 15, 2025.
The Editorial Board will decide on the publication of the papers based on two evaluation reports issued by specialists outside the editorial organization of the Book, applying the "double blind" method.