The Next Big Net Zero Discussion

[Deleted User]

Politicians are going around in circles trying to work out how to keep consumers/taxpayers onside:

‘ National Grid estimates that in the next seven years we need to build five times as many transmission lines as were built in the past three decades combined. That’s a whole lot of pylons.’

https://www.politico.eu/article/politico-pro-morning-energy-and-climate-uk-pylon-politics-pacs-back-inflation-and-net-zero/

Politicians in rural areas don’t want more pylons, and many in the present Government want to pass on the ‘poisoned chalice’ to the next Government.

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out. Don’t plan on standing charges disappearing anytime soon.

QrizB

I quite like pylons. There's a 400kV line striding majestically through the countryside a couple of miles from me.

(Yes, I might be a bit odd.)

Scot_39

I think it's more a general point about the nature of UK planning for critical infrastructure and energy security in this case than the aesthetics (but would you be happy if a new line was planned to run overhead).

And the short termism of our politicians - who in reality - leave much of it to the private sector anyway.

No bad thing necessarily - but it needs to show more strategic leadership. 

Plans for some of these lines and improvements like EGL1 and EGL2 - to prevent the inevitable curtailment payments - as already 100s of MW in licensed farm expansions in Southern and Northern Scotland and around the islands - with no transmission to market place - typical of the resulting hazard.

And the level of objections that happen to try and block essential national infrastructure and assets continue.

Only in late June did yet another appeal by TASC against Sizewell C - finally approved last summer - get rejected by the courts. (It's build was written into the Hinkley contract pricing - as iirc a c2p/kWh CfD cost reduction - so maybe 10 years earlier)