The UK government approved Sea Link, a 2 GW undersea electricity transmission connection between Suffolk and Kent, in a decision announced on Friday 30 October 2026. Developed by National Grid, the link runs primarily offshore and is described as capable of carrying enough electricity to power the equivalent of 2 million homes, moving power from where it is generated to where it is needed.

According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the project is intended to ease pressure on the grid and reduce the need to pay generators to switch off when the network cannot carry their electricity. A community benefits scheme delivered by National Grid includes over £1 million each for community funds in Kent and Suffolk, which could support local priorities such as community facilities, green spaces and local skills.

The approval follows 2 major solar farms in Nottinghamshire and Cheshire. Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park near Newark is planned at 800 MW, which the developer says could power around 400,000 homes a year, and Frodsham Solar in Cheshire would combine solar panels with battery storage. The government said the decisions bring the number of nationally significant clean energy projects approved since July 2024 to 39.