The Proposal
This project involves the construction of a new overhead line supported on wood poles, approximately 11m to 16m in height (above ground), including insulators, with span lengths of approximately 80m-100m. A combination of double wood pole structures known as Trident ‘H’ poles and single poles will be used to support the overhead line.
To provide the connection to the transmission network, the project requires the following components.
A 132kV wood pole overhead line circuit from Harestanes West wind farm site (296140, 589310) to the existing transmission steel tower line at tower BR61.
A circuit breaker compound adjacent to tower BR61.
Have your say
We are consulting the public on our proposals between 27th October and 30th November 2025.
You can view physical consultation materials and share feedback at the following events:
| Date | Location |
|---|
Wednesday 29th October, 2pm to 7pm | Hetland Hall Hotel, Near Carrutherstown, A75, Carrutherstown, Dumfries, DG1 4JX |
Thursday 30th October, 2.30pm to 7pm | Tinwald Parish Hall, Amisfield, Dumfries, DG1 3LN |
hwestohlconsultation2@spenergynetworks.co.uk or write to:
OHL Grid Connection Project Harestanes West Wind Farm
Land and Planning Team
SP Energy Networks
55 Fullarton Drive
Glasgow, G32 8FA
Feedback can also be provided via our online feedback form.
FAQs
Who is SP Energy Networks?
SP Energy Networks is part of the ScottishPower Group. SP Transmission plc (SPT) sits within SP Energy Networks and is responsible for the transmission of electricity in central and southern Scotland and the distribution network in parts of North West England and North Wales. Our role is to maintain, operate and invest in our network to secure a safe, reliable, and economic service for current and future consumers.
As a regulated utility provider, SP Energy Networks is obliged under the Electricity Act of 1989 to provide grid connections for electricity generated from power stations, windfarms, and various other utilities into our transmission network, which comprises over 4,000km of overhead lines and 320km of underground cable.
What statutory obligations does SP Energy Networks have?
Our statutory legal obligations are set out in the Electricity Act 1989 and in our transmission licence.
We must develop and maintain an efficient, coordinated and economical transmission system in accordance with security and quality of supply standards. We must offer to connect new power generators to the system and, make sure we keep disturbance to the natural and built environment and the people who live in it, work in it or enjoy it to a minimum.
Who regulates SP Energy Networks?
We are regulated by Ofgem (Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets). Further information about Ofgem is available:
Why is this project needed?
SP Energy Networks received a request via National Grid ESO (now NESO) to connect the proposed wind farm (Harestanes West Wind Farm) to the transmission grid in southern Scotland.
To comply with its statutory and license obligations, SP Energy Networks must seek to provide such a connection. As with all the grid connections of this type, the initial premise is that these will be provided through an overhead line connection.
What exactly are you proposing?
This project involves the construction of a new overhead line supported on wood poles, approximately 11m to 16m in height (above ground), including insulators, with span lengths of approximately 80m-100m. A combination of double wood pole structures known as Trident ‘H’ poles and single poles will be used to support the overhead line.
To provide the connection to the transmission network, the project requires the following components.
A 132kV wood pole overhead line circuit from Harestanes West wind farm site (296140, 589310) to the existing transmission steel tower line at tower BR61.
A circuit breaker compound adjacent to tower BR61.
How much will the project cost?
We won’t be able to cost the project fully until we have a defined proposal but projects of this nature typically cost millions of pounds.
Who will pay for this project?
Ultimately, the cost of our investment in the electricity system is partly borne by consumers through electricity bills and partly by the developer, so we are obliged to be economic and efficient. We recover our costs through transmission charges levied by National Grid.
The amount we invest in our networks and the amount we are able to recover is agreed with Ofgem, which is committed to working with industry, governments and consumer groups to deliver a net zero economy at the lowest cost to consumers. Find out about Ofgem (opens in a new window).
Who gives you permission to construct new overhead lines?
We will apply for consent under Section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 to install the proposed overhead line. As such, applications will be submitted to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit, and Scottish Ministers will make the final decision whether to grant or refuse applications.
When is the project needed by?
We plan to have the project in operation by quarter 3 2029 , but there is a lot to do before then, such as environmental studies, designing the project, obtaining the necessary development consent, and building it.
How will the overhead line be constructed?
The construction of overhead lines requires temporary infrastructure access to pole location and construction compounds to store materials. All have limited maintenance requirements and are subject to well-established procedures for dismantling/decommissioning.
Following site preparation, small excavations are required to install each pole leg and its foundations which require no concrete. The poles are then erected in sections before the conductors are ‘strung’ between them.
You can find more information about the construction process in our Routeing and Consultation Report.
Can the new line go underground?
Under the Electricity Act 1989, SPEN is required to consider technical, economic and environmental matters, and reach a balance between them.
High voltage, high-capacity overhead lines are the proven economic and reliable choice for the bulk transmission of electricity throughout the world.
Section 9 of the Act places a duty on SPEN (as licence holder) to ‘develop and maintain an efficient, co-ordinated and economic system of electricity transmission/distribution’. In practice this means an overhead line will almost always be promoted ahead of an underground cable connection due to the higher cost of underground cabling for the relative voltages.
How are we consulting local people?
We are hosting two rounds of public consultation before we submit our consent application to the Scottish Government.
The first round of consultation took place between 1st August and 1st September 2023 and sought people’s views on our preferred route for the proposed Harestanes West Wind Farm Grid Connection project, and where the new line might go within that route.
Following this first round of consultation, we developed a detailed design and alignment for the new connection overhead line, including locations for poles, access routes and working areas. A report summarising the feedback received in the first round of consultation and how this has influenced our proposals is available on the SPEN project web page.
Since the first round of consultation, we have carried out environmental surveys and reports and are now holding a second round of public consultation, so that people can give us their views on the detailed route alignment. We are consulting the public on our proposals between 27th October and 30th November 2025 via the project website www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/overhead_line_for_harestanes_west_wf.aspx or in person on 29th October at Hetland Hall (2pm – 7pm) or on 30th October at Tinwald Parish Hall (2pm – 7pm). After considering the feedback received in the second round of consultation, we will finalise our project proposals and submit consent applications to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit, for consideration by Scottish Ministers. The Scottish Ministers will then undertake a final round of statutory consultation before making any decision on our applications.
Are you consulting landowners?
Yes, we will be talking to owners and occupiers of land that might be affected by our preferred route. If you believe that your land may be affected and you have not heard from us, please contact us.
Can you tell me more about Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMFs)?
Wherever electricity is used there will also be electric and magnetic fields. This is inherent in the laws of physics – we can modify the fields to some extent, but if we are going to use electricity, then EMFs are inevitable. Like many other things that we encounter in nature, EMFs can be harmful at high-enough levels. But the fields required, for example, to start interfering with the body’s nervous system are much greater than those produced by the UK electricity system. Hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent globally investigating this issue. Research continues to seek greater clarity; however, the balance of scientific evidence to date suggests that EMFs do not cause disease.
‘Electric and Magnetic Fields – The Facts’ is a document produced by the UK electricity industry and provides more context.
How do we provide feedback?
You are able to provide feedback via email, post or the project website. The addresses can be found below:
If your question is not answered within these FAQs, you can email the mailbox at: hwestohlconsultation2@spenergynetworks.co.uk
Alternatively, you can write to:
OHL Grid Connection Project Harestanes West Wind Farm
Land and Planning Team
SP Energy Networks
55 Fullarton Drive
Glasgow, G32 8FA
Or fill out the: Online form.