Overview
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) owns and maintains the electricity transmission network in England and Wales. We transport electricity from where it is generated, such as solar and offshore wind farms, to substations, where it then continues its journey to homes and businesses.
To ensure that everyone can access electricity from renewable sources, we are working to build a cleaner, fairer, and more affordable energy system that serves everyone, and powers the future of our homes, transport and industry.
About our work at Farmoor
We are exploring options for new electricity infrastructure near Farmoor, Oxfordshire. The purpose of the project would be to reinforce the grid whilst meeting demand for new renewable and low carbon energy sources in the region.
The proposed infrastructure will require us to submit a planning application to Vale of White Horse District Council for approval. The application will be made under the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA).
Contact details
Please get in touch with our community relations team if you have any questions or comments on the Farmoor proposals.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0800 073 1047 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm)
The site
We have identified an initial preferred site for our new infrastructure near Farmoor. This site has been selected after careful consideration of several potential site options.
We will share more information about the Project and timeline soon.
Keep informed
For direct updates on the project and upcoming consultation activity, you can register your details here.
Consulting our stakeholders
In autumn 2026, we plan to engage with our key stakeholders on more detailed proposals. We will share information on how you can have your say when it becomes available.
If you have any questions about the proposals in the meantime, please contact National Grid’s Community Relations team.
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 0800 073 1047 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm)
Frequently asked questions
Here you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Farmoor.
About National Grid
National Grid sits at the heart of Britain’s energy system, connecting millions of people and businesses to the energy they use every day. It is our vision to be at the heart of a clean, fair and affordable energy future.
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) owns, builds and maintains the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales. It is NGET that is developing the new Farmoor Substation.
National Energy System Operator (NESO) for Great Britain is an independent and impartial body that makes sure we all have the essential energy we need by ensuring supply meets demand every second of every day.
Generators of electricity apply to NESO when they wish to connect to the high-voltage electricity network and NESO leads the work to consider how the network may need to evolve to deliver a cleaner, greener future.
Planning
We require planning permission from the Local Planning Authority, the Vale of White Horse District Council, under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended).
We are undertaking a public consultation on our proposals in autumn 2026. We are keen to meet with the local community and other key stakeholders so that we can understand their views and take in any relevant feedback.
The public will be encouraged to give their feedback on our proposals via a feedback form on our website, at our in-person events and via email at [email protected].
We will then review consultation responses and prepare a Statement of Community Involvement as part of our planning application to Vale of White Horse District Council.
Local communities and the environment
We work hard when planning new sites to protect areas of local amenity value, important existing habitats and landscape features including ancient woodland, hedgerows, surface and ground water resources and nature conservation areas. This includes having regard to the local environment when identifying development sites (see FAQ 9).
To support the design and consenting of the proposed development we are undertaking a programme of surveys. During construction, an ecologist would be on site supervising relevant works.
We are aware there are various bird species using the reservoir. Their activities will not be affected by our proposed works.
Lands
Our consultation is open to everyone, and we’d like to share information with you about our proposals. We’ve written to nearby landowners and occupiers around our proposals, as well as people and organisations who have a registered interest in land which may be affected by our proposals.
If you have received a letter from Dalcour Maclaren, the project’s appointed land agents, please respond directly to this letter. The letter may request initial survey access and outline information regarding the ownership, occupation and use of your land. We also welcome you to provide feedback when we carry out our consultation.
If you think your land may be affected by our proposals, please contact the Dalcour MacLaren Lands team to discuss the project: [email protected]
EMFs
Electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) are produced wherever electricity is used. Electric fields are produced by voltage and magnetic fields are produced by the current flowing through a conductor, in this case the wires.
When electricity flows through a wire, we could compare it to water flowing through a hosepipe; the current would be the volume of water, and the voltage would be the pressure pushing the water through the hosepipe.
The operating voltage of equipment tends to be fixed – for example a 400 kV overhead line always operates at around 400 kV – so the electric field from the overhead line stays at a constant level.
The magnetic field produced from a substation or overhead line can go up and down because the current goes up and down depending on the electricity demand.
Background EMFs are actually present in most homes. Electrical appliances and wiring normally used in houses generate a magnetic field.
In the UK there are exposure limits in place to protect against electric and magnetic field effects. Those exposure guidelines have been set independently by an international commission of scientists who carefully review all the research which has investigated EMFs and health effects and then set those limits on exposure. These guidelines are based on a set of guidelines from ICNIRP 1998, a publication from ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection), and the National Policy Statement for electricity networks infrastructure (EN-5), produced by the Government.
All National Grid equipment is designed to ensure the EMFs produced will always be below the limits set to protect us.