Sir Bernard Jenkin MP (Harwich and North Essex)
Dear Resident
This is to update everyone who has contacted me on the issue of the East Anglia GREEN (EAG) pylon proposals. Please forgive the general nature of this email. I have had vast numbers of emails objecting to these proposals (which is itself a very strong indicator!) so I thought it best email everyone with a general update in the interests of time. As many will know, I chair the OFFSET (Offshore Electricity Transmission System) group of MPs from Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. We have been campaigning for an off-shore ring main to replace the current proposals for on-shore pylons as put forward by the Electricity Supply Operator (ESO) which is part of National Grid.
Recently, the OFFSET MPS met the energy minister, Graham Stuart MP. Previously, we had secured a commitment from National Grid Transmission Network to produce a costed version of an offshore alternative to East Anglia GREEN. Their costed option is merely a point-to-point undersea link and fails to optimise all the advantages of a fully coordinated offshore network, which connects to the offshore wind farms, coastal power stations like Sizewell, and with interconnectors to the European continent. The OFFSET MPs were very clear about how unacceptable this is.
National Grid Electricity System Operator initially agreed to produce a costed alternative to East Anglia GREEN that that would do this. It appears, however, that the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) discouraged them from this. The OFFSET MPs will continue to push the department to explore an optimised offshore alternative to East Anglia GREEN and we have today written to the Minister again making this point.
Beyond the fundamental flaws with the EAG proposals, such as the lack of strategic forward planning, there are various location-specific issues within the current plans which are nonsensical. The Ardleigh substation is completely unnecessary. There is a viable alternative, which would neither require the massive expansion of infrastructure at Ardleigh, nor the planned double run of cables, back and forth around the north of Colchester. The alternative would connect the new off-shore wind farms, North Falls and Five Estuaries, direct to the Nautilus multi-modal connector at Felixstowe. Despite my highlighting this repeatedly, there has been no willingness to adopt a common sense approach and change the plans. This is a very bad indicator of how the whole of EAG is being treated as a done deal. It is an uphill battle across the board and typifies the difficulties OFFSET and local campaigners have had over the past year.
Finally, thank you for all the kind words regarding mine and my parliamentary colleagues’ efforts to see these proposals changed. I am struck by the strength of feeling and sheer numbers of emails from hundreds of constituents all making the same arguments against the current plans. The local campaign group is making a strong case and I will keep pressing these arguments at every level of Government.
I am afraid we must keep fighting these proposals. I am incredibly grateful to the local campaign being coordinated by volunteers, and their work may yet prove decisive.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, and a good New Year
Best wishes
Yours
Bernard