Furious MPs have demanded that energy chiefs planning to build a 110-mile-long line of pylons across parts of the Norfolk countryside look again at an alternative to the hugely controversial proposals.
South Norfolk Conservative MP Richard Bacon was among Conservatives who confronted energy minister Graham Stuart and bosses from National Grid over the power firm's East Anglia Green scheme at a recent meeting in Westminster.
National Grid wants to build a line of 50m-high pylons to run from Dunston, just south of the city, down to the Thames Estuary.
It says the project is needed to conduct increasing amounts of electricity from wind power generated off the Norfolk coast, down to London and the rest of the country - helping the UK hit its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
But there has been strong opposition and Mr Bacon joined other East Anglian MPs Therese Coffey, Priti Patel, Jo Churchill, James Cartlidge, Kemi Badenoch, Sir John Whittingdale and Sir Bernard Jenkin in arguing against the scheme at last week's meeting.
Mr Bacon said: "I have never attended a meeting at which senior colleagues directed quite such anger at the government and the electricity operator.
"There is very strong opposition to the current proposals. I hope that having so many local MPs supporting the campaign from across the whole region, including present and former cabinet ministers, will cause government to think again."
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The MPs say the line should instead be buried under the sea, and run around the region’s coastline to reach its destination, as part of an 'integrated offshore grid'.
National Grid previously said offshore options had been considered, but would have been costlier to energy bill-payers and have less capacity than an overhead route.
Mr Bacon said MPs had demanded that be looked at again, highlighting how, without such analysis, any future planning application will be highly likely to be rejected as flawed.
He added: "We insisted on much greater transparency on decisions that were being taken and the accountability for those decisions as well as a much clearer timeline for the proposals."
Bosses from National Grid are due to be questioned by members of Norfolk County Council's scrutiny committee at a meeting on Wednesday (December 14).
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