Welsh Government consults on putting new electricity lines underground
The Welsh Government has opened a consultation on plans to put new 11-132kV electricity lines underground wherever possible. It says the proposal aims to end steel lattice pylons on devolved power lines while weighing effects on communities, the environment and costs.
AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 2 independent reports from 4 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 2 reportsHow it's made
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Key facts
- The Welsh Government has launched a consultation on plans to put new electricity lines underground wherever possible (per nation.cymru).
- The proposal is part of a move to end the use of steel pylons for devolved power lines in Wales (per nation.cymru, BBC, aol.com).
- The Welsh Government says it wants to balance undergrounding with potential effects on local communities, the environment and costs (per nation.cymru).
- Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price said the plan fulfils a manifesto commitment and would make undergrounding the default for new electricity lines in Wales (per nation.cymru).
- Adam Price said the transition to a low-carbon energy system is central to the government's ambition to reach net zero by 2040 and deliver its productivity mission (per nation.cymru).
- Andrew RT Davies, Shadow Minister for Farming and the Environment, said he welcomed the consultation and move towards underground cables as the default for new electricity lines (per nation.cymru).
The brief
The Welsh Government has opened a consultation on putting new electricity lines underground wherever possible, in a proposal linked to ending steel pylons on devolved power lines in Wales. Nation.Cymru reports that the plans cover lines rated 11-132kV.
The consultation sets out undergrounding as the preferred approach, while the government says it wants to balance that aim against possible effects on local communities, the environment and costs. Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price described the plan as delivery of a manifesto commitment to end the use of steel lattice pylons.
He said the government intends for underground cables to become the default for new electricity lines in Wales. His remarks frame the proposal as a change in how new lines are built; the consultation is the step now underway. Price also connected the policy to the Welsh Government’s broader objectives.
He said the transition to a low-carbon energy system is central to the government’s ambition to reach net zero by 2040 and to deliver its productivity mission. Those goals were presented by Price as reasons the policy matters to the government; the consultation’s stated balancing considerations include community, environmental and cost impacts.
Andrew RT Davies, Shadow Minister for Farming and the Environment, welcomed the consultation and the move towards making underground cables the default for new electricity lines. His statement supports the direction of the proposal, while the government’s consultation remains focused on balancing undergrounding with the potential effects it has identified.
The plan concerns new lines rated 11-132kV and is described as applying to devolved power lines in Wales. The government has launched a consultation rather than announced a completed change in policy. Its stated position is that underground installation should be the default wherever possible, with potential local, environmental and financial impacts considered.
Nation.Cymru’s account identifies no consultation closing date or final decision. The immediate next step is the consultation process, through which the Welsh Government is seeking to weigh its proposed approach against the considerations it has named.
Why it matters
- Making underground routes the default could reduce the visual and land-use impact of new power lines on communities and landscapes, but may raise construction and maintenance costs that ultimately affect electricity bills or public spending. Those trade-offs matter as Wales expands grid capacity for low-carbon energy: the consultation could shape where new infrastructure is built and how quickly renewable projects can connect.
What to watch next
- Whether the Welsh Government sets out how it will weigh local community, environmental and cost impacts.
- Whether the government advances its proposal to make underground cables the default for new 11-132kV lines.
- How the consultation process informs the government’s approach to ending steel pylons on devolved power lines in Wales.
How it's being covered
Coverage analysisShow details4 source articles · 4 unique outlets · 2 distinct reportsOutlet political mix: Too few rated· 2 Center · 2 unratedWhere the outlets are based: US/Canada 50% · Europe 25% · Other 25%
How outlets' accounts compare
Timeline
Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.- The Welsh Government declared a climate emergency.Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
- The Welsh Government published its Net Zero Wales plan for the 2021–25 carbon budget period.Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
How we got here
In 2021, the Welsh Government put a statutory target of net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050 into law through the Climate Change (Wales) Regulations; in 2019, it had declared a climate emergency.
The Electricity Act 1989 established the modern framework for electricity generation, transmission and distribution in Great Britain, including licensing and regulation of network operators. In Wales, the Future Wales: The National Plan 2040, adopted in 2021, set national planning policy for development, including renewable energy.
Original sources
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