- Study prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff and endorsed by Institution of Engineering and Technology
- Report “will be a valuable contribution to the public debate”
- Findings “broadly in line with the costs that National Grid has been quoting”
National Grid has welcomed the publication today (Tuesday 31 January) of the independent report on transmission costs prepared by Parsons Brinckerhoff and endorsed by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
The IET’s announcement can be found at http://www.theiet.org/policy/media/press-releases/20120131.cfm.
With around a quarter of Britain’s electricity generation due to close across the coming decade, National Grid will have to connect up the new low carbon generation that is taking its place. A range of options exist, such as overhead lines and a number of different underground cable technologies.
The company has no inherent preference between these different technologies, and issues such as the balance between cost and visual impact are ones that must ultimately be decided by society on a case by case basis through the planning process.
National Grid’s approach to the design of and routeing of new lines is set out at http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/UndergroundingConsultation/ApproachToDesignAndRouteingOfNewLines/. This new approach was published in September 2011, putting greater emphasis on mitigating the visual impact of its new electricity lines, while balancing this with the need to minimise household energy bills.
David Mercer, National Grid’s Major Infrastructure Development Manager, said:
“This report will be a valuable contribution to the public debate on the right balance between visual impact and costs that must ultimately be paid for by consumers.
“The findings of the study are broadly in line with the costs that National Grid has been quoting, but there is much detail that will deserve careful study in the coming weeks.”
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