Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the National Energy System Operator about building new onshore and offshore electricity transmission routes along the coasts to cater for Scotland's overcapacity in wind power and associated large converter stations.

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) recommends necessary transmission infrastructure through its independent strategic network planning processes. Notably the upcoming Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) and the Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP). The SSEP will identify optimal locations for generation technologies across Great Britain. The CSNP will use this modelling as an input to produce holistic design recommendations, ensuring onshore and offshore routes and associated assets such as converter stations are considered with demand in mind.

While the National Energy System Operator’s (NESO) independent strategic network planning processes (including the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan and the Centralised Strategic Network Plan) will identify the need for new infrastructure at a system level, the detailed routing of onshore and offshore routing of transmission assets is a matter for the Transmission Owners. In Scotland, planning and consenting of onshore electricity infrastructure is devolved, and decisions are taken by Scottish Ministers in accordance with Scottish planning policy and statutory processes.