Consent granted for 1700MW of capacity at two East Anglia offshore wind farms

Scottish Power Renewables is celebrating development consent for two major wind farms off the Suffolk coast.
Decisions on East Anglia One North (800MW) and East Anglia Two (900MW) had been due on 6 January.
In a blog on the consent order, planning lawyer Angus Walker of BDB Pitmans noted that onshore effects weighed against the project, including the threat of flooding to onshore substations and the lack of co-ordination of offshore grids (which may lead to more onshore infrastructure). The assessment also considered cumulative effects with other energy developments, notably the Sizewell C nuclear plant whose development consent is under consideration. The cumulative onshore impact of wind farms, interconnectors and other energy infrastructure in the region has been an issue of increasing concern.