Your chance to shape a cable that could power two million homes

Lincolnshire is at the heart of one of the biggest changes to Britain's electricity network in living memory. Local people have a real chance to shape how it happens, and the clock is ticking.

National Grid is consulting on plans to bring a 585km undersea cable from Scotland to Anderby Creek, part of a project called Eastern Green Link 5 (EGL 5). It wants to hear from communities in East Lindsey before it submits a formal planning application.

The cable would come ashore at Anderby Creek on the Lincolnshire coast. From there, underground cables would run around 8km to a new converter station north-east of Bilsby. Once complete, the link would carry enough electricity to power roughly two million homes and businesses across the country.

For Lincolnshire, the benefits go beyond the headline figure. The project would strengthen the local electricity network and help make better use of renewable energy generated in UK waters. That means less reliance on imported power and a more reliable supply for homes and businesses in the region.

National Grid held an initial consultation in 2025 and says feedback from that round has already shaped the updated proposals now on the table. Project director Stephen Mathers said communities helped refine where new infrastructure could be built. "We look forward to hearing from local communities on these updates," he added.

That message matters. This kind of project, known as a Development Consent Order application, requires developers to show they have genuinely engaged with the public. The views people share now can influence the final route of cables, the design of the converter station, and how construction is managed in the local area. Responses from this stage feed directly into the planning process.

The consultation runs until 24 July. National Grid has laid on a series of in-person events across the area so residents can speak to project staff face to face, ask questions, and look at the plans in detail.

Events are taking place at:

Saturday 6 June, Alford Corn Exchange, 11am to 4pm

Thursday 11 June, Anderby Village Hall, 2pm to 7pm

Saturday 13 June, Huttoft Village Hall, 11am to 4pm

Thursday 18 June, Huttoft Village Hall, 2pm to 7pm

A virtual event is also available for those who cannot attend in person, via the National Grid website. All consultation documents are published online for anyone who wants to read the full proposals before responding.

EGL 5 is part of the Great Grid Upgrade, the government and National Grid's programme to overhaul the UK's electricity infrastructure. It is one of several new links planned between Scotland and England to move clean energy south to where it is needed most.

The consultation closes at midnight on Friday 24 July.