Australia's Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Framework: Lessons Australia Can Learn from the European Union

The Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 (Cth), enacted in December 2021, seeks to provide a national regulatory framework to govern the construction, operation, and decommissioning of offshore electricity infrastructure in Australia. Informed by the experience of the European Union, this article discusses whether or not the regulatory framework provides a sufficient level of detail and clarity to generate investor confidence while also appropriately prioritising environmental protection. The importance of clear and directive environmental legislation and other supporting guidelines to ensure that investors and developers understand their obligations, and the impact of the framework on Australia's international climate change commitments, will also be discussed.