[pjc50]

The B6 boundary: https://www.neso.energy/publications/electricity-ten-year-st...

The power lines follow the two main road links, the A1 and the A74/M6. I suppose that's not surprising from an access point of view. What is surprising is that the solution to NIMBY opposition is to route offshore and underwater, at considerable expense - and still getting opposition at the landing points. Fortunately one of the landing points is Torness, which already has a scenic nuclear reactor and associated transmission infrastructure.

I do understand the argument that the Borders is "unspoilt", but also .. hardly anybody lives there because it's an odd economic dead zone. Run another line of pylons within sight of the existing ones and call it a day.

I also wonder to what extent building more storage on either end would help. That's got to be brought into the equation. Don't say pumped storage because all the suitable geology for that and one of the biggest existing installations is also in Scotland, we need some in the Midlands.

And should probably be asking why new high usage AI datacenters are still happening in London.

[philjohn]

The new T-Pylons[1] they've installed in the south-west aren't even as much of an eye-sore as the old fashioned ones either

[1] https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/what-i...

[eggfriedrice]

I recall at the Torness tour that the guide, who's a local, remembered at public the planning meetings that they were told the building wouldn't really be visible from the A1!

At least they painted it grey to match the sky...

[arethuza]

Many years ago I used to work with a very senior project manager from Scottish Nuclear who was responsible for Torness - he had some great stories about various accident scenarios they considered. One was that the refuelling machine would fail causing it to act like a gun shooting irradiated fuel rods into the sky - every time I go past Torness on the train I check for flying fuel rods....

[teamonkey]

> And should probably be asking why new high usage AI datacenters are still happening in London.

Companies won’t be incentivised to move to Scotland unless there is regional power pricing in place, and both Conservative and Labour governments would rather shoot their own kneecaps off than offer tax incentives for companies to move to Scotland.

That said, there are two AI datacentres opening in North-East England. That’s still a long way for the power to travel, but I feel part of the reason is to soak up surplus wind power even if it’s not actually cheaper.

[subscribed]

I don't understand why borders have to be considered unspoilt if most of it is the shore soaked with untreated sewage, so with limited allure to the tourists (considering that taking a swim can land you in the hospital).

[mikeyouse]

Not necessarily defending this branch of NIMBYism but contaminated beaches can be cleaned and made usable within a few years if there’s the will and funding to do so. Building energy infrastructure is much more permanent and will alter the landscape for several decades. IMO it’s still worth building the transmission but it’s not logically incoherent or anything to protest it (as it is to protest new infra in existing right-of-ways).

[subscribed]

Thank you, that was a great way to put it. I stand corrected.

[actionfromafar]

I guess the shores don't have right-wing lobbies.