Priti says: Opportunity for sustainable offshore energy grid shouldn’t be missed

Going through Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, this corridor of metal will blight some of our most beautiful landscapes and harm the environment.

By PRITI PATEL
17:01, Sun, Apr 30, 2023 – Daily Express

Britain is a world leader in generating clean, low carbon and renewable energy, with 40 percent of our electricity produced in our country coming from those sources.

We can be proud that planned increases in electricity from these sources will help us improve our energy security and reduce our dependency on energy imports and the volatility we have seen in energy markets caused by Putin’s illegal war on Ukraine.

Those living in or visiting coastal communities will have noticed the growth in offshore wind turbines being built to power our homes and businesses.

But while developing more homegrown energy sources is right in principle, the Government and National Grid must show respect and consideration to local communities as they build new energy infrastructure.

To connect new wind power from the country’s eastern coast to London and the rest of the country, National Grid want to impose over 100 miles of new 50-metre-high pylons and overhead power lines across the East of England.

Going through Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, this corridor of metal will blight some of our most beautiful landscapes and harm the environment. National Grid is keen to press ahead with these plans because of secretive contracts signed over many years with operators and developers. Little detail has been given of these plans and thousands of residents across the region are frustrated and angry with how their views are being ignored.

It’s scandalous that such a scheme can be developed behind closed doors.

But now some details are out in the open, communities across the region are opposing it.

Instead of pylons, an alternative plan to connect new wind farms to the network through an offshore grid has been put forward by residents and communities affected.

But due to the commercial contracts in place, apparently, the developers cannot be compelled to change their plans.

This is despite the fact that in other parts of the country offshore infrastructure is being developed instead of damaging onshore pylons.

An offshore grid also looks to the future and can facilitate more wind farm electricity generation as well as opening up opportunities to sell electricity to neighbouring countries.

With the benefits of an offshore grid being clear, MPs from across the region have been standing up for our communities by opposing the pylons and pressing for an offshore grid.

National Grid, the Government and the commercial interests involved must take note of our concerns and revise their plans otherwise parts of our countryside will be lost forever, and an opportunity to create a sustainable new offshore energy grid will be missed.

Original source Daily Express:  https://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/1764564/green-energy-wind-farm-offshore-grid-pylons-comment

 

 

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