An international law firm has established a practice group specialising in offshore wind at its Dublin offices.
Law firm Clark Hill LLP said it intends to offer expertise in the “rapidly growing Irish offshore wind industry “ and steer clients and local communities “through the potential bottleneck involved in the consenting and planning process”.
Ireland’s Climate Action Plan commits the State to a 75% reduction in emissions by 2030.
It will accelerate the delivery of onshore wind and offshore wind, promising to deliver 9GW of onshore wind and up to 7GW of offshore wind by 2030.
Kirby Tarrant of Clark Hill Dublin said Ireland was uniquely placed to become self-sufficient in energy.
“This offers both opportunity and challenges as Ireland addresses climate change, generates clean electricity and creates jobs,” Tarrant said, noting that a “wide range of specialist legal support” would be necessary.
Clark Hill consultant Aidan Eames said that offshore wind projects “have a complex journey to conclusion, often taking up to ten years through consent, planning, survey, design, manufacture, and installation”.
“With offshore turbines on the seabed, there are multiple stakeholder groups to be consulted, including fisheries, heritage, ecology, military, telecommunications and government agencies,” Eames said.
“ Developers will also have to work with the onshore communities through the complex consenting process for wind energy production,” he said.
“As announcements and investments are made in the area of offshore wind development, the consent and planning process is where the major bottleneck arises,” he said.
“ At present there is a significant shortage of resources and personnel at An Bord Pleanála to deal with the anticipated surge in applications for planning consents under the new Marine Area Planning Act 2021. This could add up to two or three years to an already extended process for bringing these major offshore wind projects to completion,” he said.
Clark Hill says its team includes experienced regulatory, planning, energy, property, commercial, and transport law practitioners who work together to develop integrated, practical solutions for our clients.
Dan Simon, a partner in the Clark Hill Washington DC office and member of the company’s offshore wind practice group, said that “coastal communities and other stakeholders need to be consulted and buy into the offshore wind energy programme”.
“There is a significant consultation process and community gain required in this area. Clark Hill is already in discussions with some of those communities and agencies to ensure the process goes smoothly,” Simon said.
“This helps understand all perspectives and identify potential objections before they arise, so that they can be addressed professionally, practically and with expedience,”he said.
Clark Hill is based in 27 locations, with more than 700 lawyers spanning the United States, Ireland, and Mexico.