Review to consider 'offshore options' over pylons for East Anglian electricity grid
Campaigners and MPs have long been calling for this
Offshore options will be considered for East Anglia's electricity grid, instead of a more than one hundred mile long stretch of pylons which would cut through the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex countryside.
The Electricity System Operator's announced it'll be carrying out an independent review into the plans, known as East Anglia GREEN.
National Grid had previously ruled out offshore options - despite MPs and locals campaigning for it.
What is East Anglia GREEN?
East Anglia GREEN is the National Grid proposal to reinforce the electricity grid to cope with rising electricity output – especially from offshore wind.
Until this point, the National Grid had focused on pylons and overhead lines as the solution to grid capacity, rather than considering undersea power links off the coast.
The new review will:
- Identify alternative options that could address the capacity issue including “consideration of offshore routes”
- Assess both the benefits and costs of each option
- ‘Benchmark’ costs of each proposal against other projects in Britain
MP Reaction
Kemi Badenoch, MP for Saffron Walden, says: “Residents rightly have concerns about the approach National Grid has taken thus far on these proposals. I welcome this review neighbouring MPs and I have been calling for, which will ensure alternative options to the pylons are being properly considered.
“We all recognise the importance of reinforcing our electricity grid to cope with demand but it is vital that consideration of new infrastructure is done properly with both onshore and offshore options explored.”
Coastal Suffolk MP, Therese Coffey, says: “While I understand for energy security the government commitment to provide 40GW of offshore wind electricity by 2030, I’ve consistently made it clear that it’s essential our precious landscapes and communities are protected by placing the infrastructure in the appropriate location.
"I, therefore, welcome the commitment by ESO to consider “offshore routes” for electricity transmission but it’s clear National Grid needs to go a step further and also get on with assessing brownfield sites as alternatives to already proposed onshore infrastructure. It’s vital that a proper comparative assessment of the environmental, social and economic impacts are carried out before these connections proceed further.”
Duncan Baker, MP for North Norfolk, says: "We have to balance the needs and concerns of local communities when considering our energy infrastructure and this review is a huge step forward.
"Communities across the region and North Norfolk in particular, have some of the largest concentrations of offshore wind farms whose cable corridors are being chased through the country side.
"Working with my East Anglian colleagues this has been a shared project to benefit the wider region when it comes to the transparency and accountability of decision-making on offshore routes. A great step forward."