National Grid to consult on plans to reinforce the electricity network in Yorkshire
- A new link of the network and reinforcement is needed to carry more clean energy as the UK strives to achieve its Net Zero target for 2050.
- The clean energy will power homes and businesses in Yorkshire and beyond.
- Online and telephone consultation events to start following the launch of consultation on Thursday 11 March.
National Grid is holding a public consultation on its proposals for the Yorkshire Green Energy Enablement (Yorkshire GREEN) Project. The consultation will open on Thursday 11 March and will run for five weeks, until Thursday 15 April.
With more energy coming from offshore wind, a new connection from Scotland, and interconnectors across the North Sea being developed, connecting to the North East, the Yorkshire GREEN Project is needed to deliver this new clean energy to homes and businesses.
National Grid is in the early planning stages for this project. To create a new link on our existing energy system and reinforce the network, the proposals include new and upgraded overhead lines, two new substations, one to the north west of York, and another near the existing Monk Fryston substation, some pylon and wire replacement, four cable sealing end compounds and some new equipment at existing substations.
The Yorkshire GREEN proposals span several local authority areas, including Hambleton District Council, York City Council, Leeds City Council, Harrogate Borough Council and Selby District Council.
National Grid is writing to local residents and details of the project will be shared online via https://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/electricity-transmission/yorkshire-green
Residents, businesses and community groups across Yorkshire are being encouraged to provide feedback, which will help inform the ongoing design of the Yorkshire GREEN Project proposals.
National Grid expects to hold a further round of public consultation which is set to take place in winter 2021/22, before submitting a planning application to the Planning Inspectorate in winter 2022/23.
When complete, the Yorkshire GREEN Project will help support the Government’s aim for every home in the country to be powered by offshore wind by the end of the decade by providing a new connection which responds to clean energy growth.
Rachel Tullis, National Grid’s Yorkshire GREEN Project Director, said: "The Yorkshire GREEN Project will provide the capacity to manage growing energy demand and the massive increase in clean energy that is coming onto the transmission system, supporting national and local net zero targets and ambitious Government plans to provide 40GW of electricity from offshore wind by 2030. We’re working with a wide range of local authorities, stakeholders and the wider community and have organised online webinar events and telephone 'drop-ins' to give everyone the opportunity to speak to the project team."
We’re encouraging everyone to get involved in our consultation and visit the project website.’
Notes to editors
Contact for media information only:
+ 44 07598 581174
+44 07790 824788
Alternatively, to find out more, please visit the Yorkshire GREEN website.
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) owns, builds and manages the electricity transmission grid in England and Wales, connecting many different sources of energy, safely, reliably and efficiently. NGET does not take electricity directly to homes and businesses, that is the responsibility of Distribution Network Operators, such as Northern Powergrid. It's NGET that's developing the plans for the Yorkshire GREEN Project.
Planning permission
The Yorkshire GREEN Project will require the granting of a Development Consent Order (DCO). This is a special type of planning application for nationally significant infrastructure projects, where an independent inspector is appointed to review the plans.
National Grid will undertake at least two rounds of consultation before submitting its application to the Planning Inspectorate for consideration. National Grid anticipates submitting an application for the Yorkshire Green Project in winter 2022/23.
The Planning Inspector will then issue a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, who will make the final decision.
Consultation and national lockdown
Due to Government advice surrounding social distancing and large public gatherings, National Grid will not be able to hold face-to-face public consultation events.
To ensure everyone has access to the information and is able to participate in the consultation, National Grid will provide detailed information about its proposals on its dedicated project website as well as providing information through more traditional consultation methods, such as newsletters and posting paper copies. Members of the public will have opportunity to provide their comments online, via telephone, or via post. Their feedback will help inform the development of the proposals.
