92Competitive tenders for offshore transmission licences
After section 6B of the 1989 Act (applications for transmission licences) insert—
“6CCompetitive tenders for offshore transmission licences
(1)The Authority may by regulations make such provision as appears to it to be appropriate for facilitating the making, in prescribed cases, of a determination on a competitive basis of the person to whom an offshore transmission licence is to be granted.
(2)That provision may include—
(a)provision, in prescribed cases, for the publication of a proposal to grant an offshore transmission licence;
(b)provision for the inclusion in such a proposal of an invitation to apply for such a licence;
(c)provision restricting the making of applications for offshore transmission licences and imposing requirements as to the period within which they must be made;
(d)provision for regulating the manner in which applications are considered and determined.
(3)Regulations under this section—
(a)may make provision by reference to a determination by the Authority or to the opinion of the Authority as to any matter; and
(b)may dispense with or supplement provision made in relation to applications for transmission licences by or under section 6A or 6B above.
(4)The approval of the Secretary of State is required for the making of regulations under this section.
(5)In this section—
“offshore transmission licence” means a transmission licence authorising anything that forms part of a transmission system to be used for purposes connected with offshore transmission; and
“prescribed” means prescribed in or determined under regulations made by the Authority.
(6)In subsection (5) “offshore transmission” means the transmission within an area of offshore waters of electricity generated by a generating station in such an area.
(7)In subsection (6) “offshore waters” means—
(a)waters in or adjacent to Great Britain which are between the mean low water mark and the seaward limits of the territorial sea; and
(b)waters within an area designated under section 1(7) of the Continental Shelf Act 1964.”