Energy Installations in the Marine Environment

Abstract

The Law of the Sea Convention includes provisions for at least three categories of energy installations: offshore platforms used for oil and gas exploration and exploitation; offshore platforms used for the generation of energy from renewable sources; pipelines. The regulatory framework for each one of those covers each stage of their deployment: coastal State jurisdiction; placement; operation and responsibility and liability for nay damage caused by their presence in the marine environment. Yet, one finds a wide variety of rules applicable, some of them of long provenance, others newly-minted; some of them specific to the task, others offering simply the general parameters of a regulation. As energy operations at sea expand, the multitude of applicable rules adds to the challenges we face for the future.