The Offshore Wind Act aims to expand the use of offshore wind energy, particularly in the interest of protecting the climate and the environment. As part of its objectives it plans to increase the installed capacity of offshore wind energy installations to a total of 15 gigawatts between 2021 and 2030. This increase is to take place steadily, cost-efficiently and taking account of the grid capacities needed for the purchase, transmission and distribution of the electricity. The expansion of offshore wind energy installations and the expansion of the offshore connections needed to transmit the electricity generated in them are therefore to be coordinated, also taking into consideration the onshore grid connection points, and an alignment of the respective planning, approvals, construction and commissioning is to be achieved.

The Act was amended in 2020 to revise targets to 2030 and 2040.