Offshore wind energy - draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan: partial business and regulatory impact assessment

Annex C: Engagement Questions for MD-LOT

1. Could you tell us how the existing SMP-OWE/INTOG IPF is used by MD-LOT?

2. The Plan provides a guide to relevant consenting bodies when making decisions on individual licence and consent applications but should not be considered as pre-determining those decision-making processes. Do you agree with this statement?

3. Are you able to provide any information/data on how your work processes have changed after the SMP-OWE 2020 was published?

4. With these points (listed below) in mind, how would the updated SMP-OWE affect licensing and consenting processes for offshore wind developments post-adoption?

Key New Components of the updated SMP-OWE (presented to MD-LOT during BRIA engagement)

• Encompass the Scotwind and Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds of 30GW.
• Use the latest evidence and planning assumptions, on spatial footprint, technology and scientific research.
• Will for the first time consider cabling – using data from the Holistic Network Design exercise.
• Identify the interaction between windfarms and military and civilian radar sites and reference to highly surveyed areas.
• Will evaluate the how often we update the Plan – iterative or only when there are new areas of search.
• Will start to consider the options for wet storage.
• Will evaluate how often we do plan updates – iterative vs if we do a new leasing round.
• We will incorporate how the Energy Act changes the planning and consenting landscape.
• Build in test and demonstration opportunities.
• Assess the amount of strategic compensation required to offset impacts arising from the updated SMP-OWE to inform a more strategic approach to compensation and instigate a derogations process for the Plan.