North Sea offshore wind energy and ecology probed by peers

Peers will explore the current state of the North Sea’s ecology and what risks it faces from new offshore wind projects tomorrow (Wednesday 17 March from 10.00 a.m.).

The House of Lords EU Environment Sub-Committee will ask experts about potential ecological impacts of offshore wind development in the North Sea and what more the Government could do to minimise them.

The sub-committee will hear from:

• Helen Quayle, Policy Officer, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• Professor Melanie Austen, Professor of Ocean and Society, University of Plymouth
• Trudi Wakelin, Director of Licensing, Marine Planning and Blue Belt, Marine Management Organisation

Areas for discussion will include:

• How well the ecological impacts of offshore wind are understood;
• The availability and use of technological mitigations;
• International cooperation; and
• Relevant policy and delivery frameworks and how these could be improved.