Request:
“Please provide all correspondence between Crown Estate Scotland and National Grid ESO on the subject of the network investments necessary to facilitate ScotWind, from 1st January 2021 - date.”
Response:
We reviewed our records and confirmed with the relevant parties within the organisation and can confirm that we do not hold any correspondence between the dates of 1 January 2021 to 12 May 2023 between Crown Estate Scotland and National Grid ESO about network investments for ScotWind. Therefore exception 10(4)(a) under EIRs applies.
Crown Estate Scotland wouldn’t have such correspondence as investment decisions are the responsibility of National Grid and the Transmission Owners (for example, Scottish Power, SSE) and are regulated by Ofgem.
We have regular discussions with ESO to understand their work across relevant grid issues, including provision for ScotWind projects.
Our role is to advise on process in relation to seabed leasing and agreements for transmission cables, as well as an overall coordination and enabling role as we seek to deliver long-term value for Scotland from the seabed agreements we have for offshore wind projects.
