Here you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Cross Border Connection.
We will continue to update them as our proposals develop. If your question is not listed below please get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected] or by calling 0800 358 1781 (lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm, with an answerphone taking messages outside these times).
About the project
The Cross Border Connection project is a proposal to build a new 400 kilovolt (400 kV) overhead line between the England-Scotland border and the Carlisle area, a new 400 kV substation in the Carlisle area and a connection from the new Carlisle substation to the network.
This new connection would help transport more home-grown renewable energy between Scotland and England – enough to power up to six million homes.
The Scottish part of the project is being developed by SP Energy Networks, running from Gala North Substation to the Scotland-England border. In this consultation, we are asking for your views on the English part only – a new 400 kV overhead line from the border to Carlisle, plus a new substation linked to the existing network.
Cross Border Connection would play an important role in building a more secure and resilient energy system by reliably transporting affordable, home-grown renewable energy from where it is generated to where it is needed.
Much of the energy infrastructure in the North of England was developed in the 1960s when energy generation was primarily from coal fired power stations.
Increasingly, the UK is generating energy from renewable sources that require significant upgrades to the transmission system which will strengthen our energy security and resilience.
Across the country, demand for electricity is rising, including here in the North of England. We need to build this new transmission infrastructure to help meet that increasing demand.
Cross Border Connection would transport home-grown energy from where it is generated to where it is needed across the North of England and beyond.
The project would transport enough home-grown electricity to power up to six million homes and businesses.
Electricity demand is rising across the UK, including here in the North of England. To meet this growing demand, more electricity is being generated – and we need to strengthen the transmission network to carry that power to homes, businesses, and public services.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) regularly reviews how the network must evolve to support a more secure, cleaner and reliable energy future. Based on their recommendations, more transmission upgrades are likely to be needed in the North.
As National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), it’s our job to develop proposals for new infrastructure based on NESO’s recommendations. We aim to balance delivering value for money with reducing impacts on communities, the environment, and important heritage sites like the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site (Hadrian’s Wall WHS).
Right now, we’re considering two possible locations for a new substation, as the choice may depend on other potential projects. We will also carefully consider your feedback from this consultation, alongside technical and environmental assessments.
As our plans develop, we’ll keep you informed and continue to consult with you.
Cross Border Connection is currently at an early stage of development. From the outset, we’ve aimed to minimise potential impacts on the environment, communities, residential properties, and landowners. We apply best practice environmental impact assessment techniques to understand the potential effects of our proposals and identify opportunities for mitigation and biodiversity net gain.
As the project progresses, we will continue to carefully assess its environmental impact before submitting our application for a Development Consent Order (DCO).
A full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be carried out, and the findings will be presented in an Environmental Statement (ES) to support our DCO application. The EIA is a key part of the planning process and will assess potential effects on biodiversity, landscape, air quality, water resources, cultural heritage, and other important factors. These findings, alongside feedback we receive, will help shape the route and design of the project – ensuring significant impacts are avoided, reduced, or mitigated wherever possible.
During our next stage of consultation, we will publish our initial environmental findings in a document called the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR). At that stage, we will invite your views on our assessment. All feedback received will help inform the final Environmental Statement submitted as part of the DCO application.
National Grid is responsible for developing and delivering the section of Cross Border Connection in England. SP Energy Networks is developing the section in Scotland.
SP Energy Networks held its first round of public consultation on its preferred route in autumn 2024. Based on feedback received, SP Energy Networks made modifications to sections of the route and held further consultation events in spring 2025.
SP Energy Networks is proposing to construct a new 400 kV overhead line between the proposed new Gala North Substation near Lauder, and a point at the Scotland-England border, south of Newcastleton.
SP Energy Networks and National Grid are working closely to ensure that the two sections of Cross Border Connection align seamlessly at the border.
Planning permissions in Scotland and England differ. Separate applications are required for the Scottish and English sections of the project, and these will be decided by different decision makers under different consenting regimes.
National Grid is seeking consent for the section of the project in England via a Development Consent Order (DCO), as it is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will decide whether to grant consent for the proposals in England.
SP Energy Networks is responsible for the section of the project in Scotland and will be applying for consent under Section 37 of the 1989 Electricity Act in Scotland. Applications are processed on behalf of the Scottish Ministers by the Energy Consents Unit in Scotland. Applications will be submitted to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit, and Scottish Ministers will make the decision whether to grant consent for the proposal.
Landowners
When developing our proposals, we need to understand who has a legal interest in the land in and around the areas being considered as part of the project.
In the Development Consent Order (DCO) process, anyone with a legal interest in land is known as a Person with an Interest in Land (PIL). If you are identified as having a land interest, we will contact you directly.
Whilst much of the information we need is available on public registers, we have appointed a land referencing firm, Dalcour Maclaren, to contact individual landowners to verify the publicly available information and ensure that we have made best efforts to identify any potentially impacted parties.
They will also assist with contacting landowners and occupiers to arrange access for non-intrusive and intrusive surveys which we plan to carry out whilst we develop the proposals and prepare the application for a DCO.
If you are a landowner and believe your property may be affected by our proposals, and want to talk to our dedicated Lands team, please email [email protected] or call 0333 188 5375 (freephone line open Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm)
About National Grid
National Grid sits at the heart of Britain’s energy system, connecting millions of people to the energy they use every day.
We bring energy to life: in the heat, light and power we bring to our customers’ homes and businesses; in the way we support our communities and help them to grow; and in the way we show up in the world.
We’re working to build a more resilient, fairer, more affordable energy system that serves everyone. We’re fuelling new jobs, powering economic growth and helping our communities thrive. And we’re doing it with new ideas and technologies to keep pace with the demands of life and unlock the future of energy for our customers.
National Grid is a group of companies. One of those companies, National Grid Electricity Transmission, owns, builds and maintains the network in England and Wales. It’s National Grid Electricity Transmission that is developing plans for Cross Border Connection.
Within the National Grid Group there are other distinctly separate legal entities, each with their individual responsibilities and roles.
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) owns and maintains the high voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales. This network operates primarily at 400 kilovolts (kV) and 275 kV.
National Grid raises the money to fund new electricity transmission proposals through the financial markets. We are regulated by Ofgem who scrutinise the upfront costs, which are gradually passed on to consumers electricity bills over a 40-year period.
The Great Grid Upgrade is the largest overhaul of the g rid in generations and will future proof the grid for years to come, facilitating the transition to a clean and affordable energy future. It will enable us to carry more clean, secure energy from where it is generated to where it is needed, boosting energy security and helping the nation become more self-sufficient. Find out more about The Great Grid Upgrade.