Offshore wind energy has seen dynamic growth in Europe in recent years and this is mirrored in the ambitious strategic plans for the Polish market. This article deals with selected regulatory and market aspects related to the construction of offshore wind farms in the Polish area of the Baltic Sea. Using wind speed measurements, statistical power distributions were obtained for an exemplary wind farm located in the southern Baltic. Analysis was carried out for data collected at an altitude of 102 m over a ten year period. Using Balancing Market data, the Value at Risk was estimated. The offshore results were compared with the calculations for an onshore wind farm for the selected year. The analysis shows the potential of the Polish area of the Baltic Sea for generating renewable energy. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.