The Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI), WindEurope and the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) will hold a conference in Brussels on October 19. The meeting will discuss challenges and possible solutions to accelerate the deployment of offshore energy infrastructure while restoring European marine ecosystems.
The unfolding crises of climate change, biodiversity and energy security require accelerating the deployment of renewable energy and the necessary development of electricity grids. Offshore wind energy plays a key role in achieving RES targets. However, the degraded state of our marine ecosystems requires due attention: offshore wind power projects and grid infrastructure, if properly planned and implemented, can and should contribute to the restoration of marine resources and have a positive impact on nature.
The importance of the topic is underlined by the European Commission in the adopted proposal for the EU Nature Restoration Law – which we discussed with the EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius:
To reconcile potential conflicts between nature and energy infrastructure and reduce the risk of delays in the construction of new farms, careful and comprehensive planning must be undertaken and identified solutions must be implemented at scale by both permitting authorities and project developers, as part of plans to achieve EU renewable energy targets and restore marine ecosystems. With this in mind, we invite you to join the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI), WindEurope and the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) at the conference in Brussels.
Source: Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature
