Chapter 16. Submarine Cables and Offshore Energy

Unlike submarine fiber optic cables for telecommunications, submarine cable systems for communications and power for offshore oil and gas inter-platform connectivity and for alternative energy in the form of wind farms are relatively new segments to the industry. This chapter provides an overview of submarine cables used for oil and gas infrastructure and for alternative energy. It discusses issues, including the development of these special-purpose energy cables, the drivers for the cables, the industry, the legal regime governing these cables, and the law and policy challenges that the cables pose. Offshore wind power refers to the construction of wind farms in the oceans to generate electricity from wind. Countries around the world have begun efforts to create large-scale offshore energy farms using wind turbines to exploit the strong winds that are found over the oceans. Keywords: offshore energy; offshore wind power; submarine cables; wind farms; wind turbines