Some recent social science literature on a North Sea Grid admits
obstacles, but continues with the upbeat message. According to Jay
and Toonen [12] offshore super-grids promise to boost energy security,
to strengthen marine renewables, and reinforce a distinctive
pattern of marine regionalisation as the predominant governance
level for such energy transitions. Conversely some of the social
science literature which has specifically examined moving grids
offshore, stresses caution over whether grids will ever move offshore
to a significant extent. For example Andersen [13], has
stressed technological uncertainty, and how the European electricity
grid as a socio-technical regime is fundamentally a conservative
andpathdependentinfrastructure [14].