Keizerslaan 20 Boulevard de l'Empereur, 20 B-1000 Brussel-Bruxelles
PRESS RELEASE
Tel.: 02 546 70 11 Fax: 02 546 70 10
28 April 2011
Elia organises public consultation on federal transmission grid development plan and environmental impact report Elia has announced a public consultation for the draft version of its 2010-2020 development plan and the accompanying environmental impact report, in accordance with the relevant legislation. The consultation will run from 16 May until 14 July 2011. Comments and reactions from the public will be included in the final version of the development plan, which Elia will submit to the federal energy minister in autumn. In its capacity as the operator of the electricity transmission grid, Elia is legally required to periodically draw up a development plan for its transmission grid (150 kV to 380 kV), in cooperation with the federal government's Directorate-General for Energy and the Federal Planning Bureau. Under the law of 13 February 2006 on assessing the environmental impact of plans and programmes and public involvement in the development of plans and programmes in connection with the environment, this development plan must also be subject to an environmental impact assessment. According to that law, both the development plan and the accompanying environmental impact report must be subject to public consultation. The public's comments will be incorporated in the final version of the development plan, which Elia will submit to the federal energy minister in autumn. During the 60-day public consultation, the development plan draft and the environmental impact report will be available on the Elia website: www.elia.be. The site gives details on how the public can send in comments and reactions. The public consultation will also be announced in the 28 April 2011 edition of the Belgian Official Gazette and on the federal government portal site at www.belgium.be. About Elia:
Elia is the Belgian transmission system operator, transmitting electricity efficiently, reliably and securely from producers to distribution system operators and major industrial users. Elia is responsible for importing and exporting electricity from and to neighbouring countries. Elia owns the entire Belgian very high voltage grid (150 to 380 kV) and some 94% (ownership and user rights) of the Belgian high-voltage grid (30 to 70 kV). The Elia grid comprises 5,608 km of overhead lines and 2,775 km of underground connections and is a key link between electricity markets in northern and southern Europe. It also links Belgian producers and consumers. Belgium's recent investment in interconnection capacity with its neighbours makes it one of the most open and interconnected grids in Europe. Elia has recently expanded its activities on a broader European level and, following its acquisition of German TSO 50Hertz and in cooperation
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with Industry Funds Management (IFM), is now one of the top five transmission system operators in Europe. For more information about the public consultation: www.elia.be Consultation@elia.be Media: Eva Suls Axelle Pollet
+32 2 546 73 78 +32 2 546 75 11
+32 477 48 80 09 +32 475 84 38 91
eva.suls@elia.be axelle.pollet@elia.be
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