Developers have raised “major concerns” over controversial proposals by UK seabed landlord The Crown Estate to introduce an “option fee” to bidding in upcoming Round 4 offshore wind leasing, claiming it could reward deep pockets rather than ability to deliver projects.
One well-placed industry source told Recharge that a number of offshore wind developers active in the UK are “very much against” following the American model of bidding for leases, which resulted in a record-breaking $405m development zone auction off Massachusetts last year.
