OREANDA-NEWS. National Grid today starts a 12 week consultation exercise on plans to connect new sources of electricity generation into 'the grid' in Cumbria and Lancashire.

The company wants to hear the views of people from the two counties on its plans to provide a connection for the proposed new nuclear power station, Moorside, near Sellafield in West Cumbria into the existing electricity transmission system and to export power generated by other new energy projects in the North West.

Robert Powell, Project Manager said: “This is major milestone for National Grid. We have spent five years working on this project and from today, we start to share the detail of our proposals more widely.

“We've had discussions with local authorities from across the region as well as key organisations including the Lake District National Park Authority, English Nature and English Heritage. These have helped us identify an 'emerging preference' for a way of making these vital new connections.

“ NuGen tell us that its proposed Moorside plant will generate enough electricity to supply around six million homes and we must find a way to securely connect their plant into our network while, at the same time, treading as lightly as possible on the treasured landscape and environment of Cumbria and north Lancashire.

“We're now at the most crucial stage of our project. We're looking forward to going into local communities to start the dialogue about our project. We're encouraging people to share their views on the work we've done to date in order to help us refine the project we take forward.”

Kate Wilshaw, Planning Officer for Friends of the Lake District said: “We have worked with National Grid over the past five years to raise awareness of the sensitivity of the landscape and natural environment through which the electricity infrastructure will need to travel.

“Cumbria and the Lake District contain some of the most precious landscapes in England and we hope that a solution can be found to make sure these landscapes are kept safe.

“We would urge local people to read the information provided and attend the consultation events and to share their views on local landscape impacts with National Grid as experience over the last five years has shown that National Grid do listen to people's concerns.“