EGL2: If we want green energy we have to break some eggs

From Peterhead in the north east of Scotland to Drax power station, EGL2 will see spades in the ground on the £4.3bn venture – jointly run by National Grid and SSEN Transmission – this year, with power expected to be pulled into some two million homes by 2029.

When this plan was a mere ambition it was lauded as admirable, demonstrating leadership in bringing sustainable and secure energy creation for generations to come; now that it has become a reality, admiration will understandably turn to concern and a craving for more information.

Where the subsea cable makes landfall, and what that will look like, is chief among people’s concerns, not least those living in and around Wilsthorpe Beach, just outside Bridlington. Some 44 miles of the infrastructure will not be buried under the sea, and so will make an impact on the natural landscape of the county, something that thousands and thousands of people care passionately about.

Which is why, now, the developers must get onto the front foot. Nothing in relation to EGL2 can be over communicated in the pursuit of hearts and minds.

But make no mistake: if as a nation we are serious about transitioning to renewable energy, away from burning natural resources, then in order to make that omelette, we have to break some eggs.