AN ELECTRICITY company working with the council on a planned solar farm have said the 11-year delay to connect the power-generating plant to the National Grid is due to the works required for the scheme.
Last week, Wokingham Borough Council’s chief executive, Susan Parsonage, said the proposed setback was unacceptable.
But Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) have gone into details about what is causing the delay.
The new solar farm at Barkham form part of the council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP), which in turn contributes to the nation’s carbon neutral objectives.
And it is also intended to generate income for the council – important at a time when the government’s financial settlement grant is below what is needed to run all services.
“It leaves us with a significant shortfall in our expected income after the new solar farm started feeding energy into the grid,” Ms Parsonage said last week. “A gap which will have to be filled with further savings or a reduction in the critical services our residents receive.”
She also said: “We were incredibly frustrated and angry to receive the notification of delays from SSEN.
“We have been working closely with them on our proposals before and since entering into a contractual agreement and at no point did SSEN express any concerns over capacity or timings.
“To suddenly announce a delay of this length is simply unacceptable.”
However, SSEN feel the council’s statement doesn’t provide the full picture, and says it is committed to providing the electricity distribution network infrastructure required to deliver net zero targets.
“We work closely with customers, communities and local authorities to help them achieve their decarbonisation aims,” a spokesperson said.
“SSEN is responsible for the distribution works being carried out in relation to this project and – throughout the process – project timelines have been communicated with the customer.
“Following completion of National Grid’s technical study, they have confirmed that transmission level works are required for the connection of this project. Those works, on which the project is dependent, are scheduled to be complete by 2037.
“SSEN remains in conversation with the customer to ensure all updates on progress are conveyed.”
The spokesperson added: “As distribution operator for central southern England, we would like to reassure our customers and stakeholders that we are working closely with Transmission network colleagues at National Grid on projects across our licence area, to try and alleviate grid constraints.
“Additionally, SSEN continues to work with the regulator and Government to facilitate longer-term strategic investment in our networks.”
