Wales plans to ban steel pylons as government launches consultation — SkimNews
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- Welsh government launched a consultation on banning steel lattice pylons for new electricity lines up to 132 kV, aiming to reduce visual and environmental impacts by promoting undergrounding.
- Plaid Cymru supported the policy as a manifesto pledge, advocating for burying cables to protect Welsh landscapes and local amenity, particularly in contested areas like the Towy Valley.
- Green Gen Cymru welcomed the consultation and emphasized using 'the right infrastructure in the right place,' citing its recently unveiled 22-meter 'slim and compact' monopole design.
- Green Gen Cymru stated that undergrounding its Towy Usk project would cost £500 million more than overhead lines, reflecting a 4.5 times higher expense compared to overhead alternatives.
- Welsh Energy Minister Adam Price emphasized the need for sensitively designed infrastructure that minimizes environmental and community impacts while supporting energy transition goals.
- Llandovery Pylon Group campaigners welcomed the focus on undergrounding, highlighting benefits for agriculture, tourism, and climate resilience in rural Wales.
Why it matters: The policy shift could redirect hundreds of millions in grid investment toward underground cabling, increasing costs for developers like Green Gen but reducing landscape disruption. Communities and environmental advocates gain leverage in infrastructure fights, while decarbonization timelines may face pressure from longer, costlier installations.
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