Wales opens consultation to ban steel lattice pylons on new power lines
Welsh government consultation would bar traditional steel lattice pylons on new lines up to 132kV, favouring underground cables with a 15 January 2027 deadline.
The story in focus
The Welsh government has launched a consultation on banning traditional steel lattice pylons for new electricity lines up to 132 kilovolts under its control, favouring buried cables with less intrusive alternatives where undergrounding is not feasible. The consultation runs until 15 January 2027 and notes undergrounding is generally more costly to install and maintain.
- Policy would prohibit large steel lattice pylons on new lines up to 132kV under Welsh government control
- Where undergrounding is not feasible, wooden poles or equivalent less intrusive infrastructure would be allowed
- Undergrounding is generally considered more expensive to install and maintain, the consultation document states
- Green Gen Cymru says undergrounding its cables would cost on average 4.5 times more than overhead lines
- Consultation closes on 15 January 2027
What the policy would change
BBC News reports the Welsh government has announced plans to prohibit the use of large steel lattice pylons to support new electricity lines up to 132 kilovolts over which it has control. Burying cables underground is the favoured approach under the policy, a Plaid Cymru manifesto commitment before May's Senedd election.
Where undergrounding is not feasible, the policy would permit wooden poles or comparable less intrusive infrastructure to carry overhead cables, rather than conventional lattice pylons.
Stated benefits and acknowledged costs
The government said undergrounding could reduce the visual impact of electricity infrastructure and help protect landscapes. It added that buried cables could be less vulnerable to severe weather and could lessen potential effects on birds and other wildlife.
The consultation document also acknowledges that undergrounding is generally considered more expensive to install and maintain and could create construction impacts during installation. Green Gen Cymru, which has proposed power line routes connecting onshore wind farms to the wider grid, has said undergrounding its cables would cost on average 4.5 times more than overhead lines, an extra £500m for the Towy Usk project according to the company.
Consultation details
BBC News reports the consultation will run until 15 January 2027. The plans follow opposition to proposed pylon networks in the Towy Valley, where local Plaid politicians have spoken against the projects.
When does the Welsh government's consultation on banning steel lattice pylons close?
The consultation runs until 15 January 2027, according to BBC News. It covers prohibiting traditional steel lattice pylons on new electricity lines up to 132 kilovolts under Welsh government control.
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