Consultation begins on connecting offshore wind power with Britain’s electricity grid

3 November
Press release - 03 November 2025
green walled fields

Key facts
National Energy System Operator publishes blueprint for connecting a threefold expansion of offshore wind capacity around Britain’s coastline alongside further environmental analysis
37 planned offshore windfarms form part of government’s existing clean power ambition - providing more than 50 GW of new clean power to millions of homes and businesses
Consultation opens today on plan for cabling routes with renewed focus on marine environment

Britain’s energy system operator is today (3 November) beginning a public consultation on a blueprint for connecting a planned threefold expansion of offshore wind capacity around Britain alongside further environmental analysis.

The National Energy System Operator’s (NESO) new Holistic Network Design Implementation Plan integrates earlier work on connecting new windfarms to the national grid into a new strategic blueprint, while bolstering environmental analysis of the routes they could take.

In one of the largest exercises of its kind, NESO has undertaken new far-reaching environmental assessments of cabling routes for 37 planned offshore windfarms, to ensure they connect safely with Britain’s transmission network. When up and running the new wires will help carry 50 gigawatts (GW) of new clean power to millions of homes and businesses.

The UK government wants to triple offshore wind capacity over the next ten years, with a target of up to 50 GW by 2030. This brings with it the need for a once-in-a-generation expansion of the grid infrastructure at sea, which NESO says should be done in a way that causes minimal impact to the marine environment.

Director of Strategic Energy Planning and Chief Engineer at NESO, Julian Leslie, said: 

“Expanding offshore wind is critical to achieving clean power, but we’re clear that the expansion of the transmission network infrastructure must consider the natural environment.  

“That’s why our teams have worked tirelessly with a wide variety of environmental stakeholders to devise today’s blueprint for the network design, with a renewed focus on the marine environment.” 

The energy system operator used specialist consultants to assess the impact the 53 cables would have on the 5km corridors for cable routes for each of the 37 windfarms, considering key environmental criteria, including geology, biodiversity and flora and fauna. It concludes that they support the cabling plan and that the environment has been properly considered. 

It is the responsibility of each windfarm project owner to take forward their precise plans, including the routes of their cables, for development consent and licensing. This will involve further rigorous environmental assessment before getting the go ahead for any construction to begin.  

Ends 

About NESO 

The National Energy System Operator, NESO, is an independent, public corporation at the centre of the energy system taking a whole system view to create a world where everyone has access to reliable, clean, and affordable energy.  

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Editor’s Notes 

  • The Holistic Network Design (HND) Implementation Plan and suite of environmental documents are now open for public consultation until 30 January 2026, which can be accessed here.