The Senedd has narrowly rejected calls for all new power lines to be placed underground. Adam Price led a debate on a Plaid Cymru motion to make it mandatory for all new electricity distribution lines to be underground rather than overhead pylons. He explained that current Welsh Government policy says new power lines should be laid underground but it includes a caveat on cost grounds.
Mr Price warned the policy is not working as intended, saying: “As long as the caveat exists, developers will always exploit it and build pylons as their preferred option.” MS presses minister for assurance of more funding for North Wales’ busses Calls for Senedd 'sin bin' system Wales Air Ambulance public enquiry petition hits 10,000 signatures Who are Gwynedd's election candidates? He said this has been a catalyst for a “rash of proposals for long-range pylon lines traversing large swathes of our country”, including Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. He urged the Welsh Government to mandate underground power lines, following the example of other European countries, saying underground cables do not spoil the landscape, are cheaper to maintain and more reliable.
Mr Price welcomed a review but said: “If we want to prevent the kind of mass pylonisation that much of our country is currently facing, then we can't afford to wait for the outcome.” Russell George, MS for Montgomeryshire, raised concerns about overproliferation of windfarms and power lines “thundering” through the hills o.
