Act now! Future Electricity Grid for Wales advisory group “lacks promised community engagement”

The Welsh Government has implemented an independent review of the possible approaches to delivering electricity infrastructure in Wales but has to date, excluded any engagement with communities across Wales.

The findings of the advisory group will be used to inform Welsh Government policy and guidance for electricity conveyance infrastructure so it is essential that the voice of the people is heard. The Countryside Alliance has launched a survey so you can have a say on the future of the electricity grid in Wales, the results of which will be presented to the Independent Advisory Group, so please make your voice heard here.

In May 2024 the Countryside Alliance and members of the Llandovery Pylon Community Group met Welsh Government officials to discuss electricity infrastructure and the potential of undergrounding electricity cables by cable ploughing.  At that meeting, the Countryside Alliance called for an independent review of the true cost of undergrounding which would also take into consideration the potential disbenefits of choosing pylon infrastructure such as the visual impact they would have, the knock-on effect on the economy and the effect on people’s health and well-being. 

The Countryside Alliance were told that an independent advisory group could be set up. The Alliance subsequently requested a seat at the table to represent communities and landowners across Wales but was refused. However, Welsh Government officials assured the Alliance that the opportunity to allow our members and supporters from the very many community groups now set up to oppose pylon construction, to feed into their inquiry, which at the time of writing, is yet to happen.

A Freedom of Information request gave us details of the membership of the group. The group is chaired by Mr Hywell Thomas, Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Geoenvironmental Research Centre in Cardiff. The composition of the board is varied and draws in a vast spectrum of expertise including the Welsh Economy Research Unit Office, the office of the Future Generations Commissioner, the Welsh Local Government Association, the Understanding Risk Research Group, the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, Energy Networks Association, Natural Resources Wales, and a host of others.

We also asked for the terms of reference for the advisory group but at the time this had not been completed. It is now, however, in the public domain and sets out its stall here:

The purpose of the group is to build an understanding of the possible approaches to delivering electricity infrastructure, to create a public evidence base and to produce a set of agreed principles for determining the most appropriate solutions for Wales.

The group will:

• Review current electricity grid infrastructure and capacity in Wales.
• Consider the high-level challenges and opportunities related to the future electricity grid and the pace of delivery required to achieve the Welsh Government’s net zero targets.
• Engage technical experts to disseminate relevant information to members drawn from a range of stakeholders across Wales.
• Review information and put forward existing information for review, relevant to the purpose of the group.
• Create an accessible evidence base about the future needs of Wales, including cost, impact and benefit of different approaches to building grid infrastructure.  
• Build consensus on an evidence-based, practicable set of principles for electricity grid development in Wales, with consideration to the public and community perspective, socio-economic duty, the environment and the wellbeing of future generations.

What isn’t clear from the terms of reference is whether or not the Welsh Government will research the cost of pylons to the communities in terms of loss of value of land and associated properties where pylons are constructed, the loss of value to the tourism sector and the impact that pylons could have on the environment to include biodiversity and woodland destruction to the health and wellbeing of the people who would have to endure their very presence.

Rachel Evans, Director for Wales said:

“To not consider the wider impact of pylon infrastructure would devalue the work of the group. Through our survey, we aim to demonstrate the true cost of poorly chosen infrastructure on communities across Wales.”

You can take part in the survey here.