Campaigners accuse the Energy Secretary of pursuing ‘dogmatic’ agenda and warn of ‘pitchfork battles’ with rural communities
Ed Miliband’s plan to erect thousands of pylons across Britain has been criticised after an official report found that burying electricity cables underground can be cheaper.
One of the Government’s core arguments for ruling out the possibility of burying cables underground to help meet net zero targets by 2030 is that it is “more expensive” than building pylons with overhead lines.
But an official report into the East Anglia Network – where a large-scale pylon roll-out from Norwich to Tilbury is planned – has found that burying cables is cheaper over the longer term.
It is a boost for campaigners pushing for energy alternatives that have a less dramatic impact on the landscape, particularly in the countryside.
The Energy Secretary has now been accused of pursuing a “dogmatic” pylon agenda, despite evidence that there are viable and cost-effective alternatives.
Campaigners believe the conclusions in the report are likely to apply across the country and are now urging ministers to commission a nationwide report into pylon alternatives.
James Cartlidge, the Tory MP for South Suffolk whose constituents are fiercely opposed to the planned pylon roll-out in their area, said Mr Miliband was “ideologically committed to pylons even if the data says there are other options”.
Mr Cartlidge, who has written to the Energy Secretary to highlight the report’s findings, said Mr Miliband’s “dogmatic” adherence to the 2030 clean power target was leading him to sideline other options.
“The report shows that you can wait until 2034 and still have what is a very competitively priced option [of underground cables] that doesn’t lead to permanent damage to the countryside,” he said.
“It gives you the basis of what a grid could look like elsewhere in the country – this is how to avoid pitchfork battles with rural communities.”
Labour’s goal to achieve clean power by 2030 is five years ahead of the target set by the previous government and will require a doubling of onshore wind and hundreds of miles of new cables and pylons.
The East Anglia network report states that it would not be possible to build a system of underground cables by 2030 due to the time involved in digging and installation. It would be possible to erect a sufficient number of pylons by this time.
However, under a 2034 time frame an underground cable system would come in £600 million cheaper than using pylons, it says.
The study was published by the National Energy System Operator, which was previously part of the National Grid but since the start of this month has become a separate government-owned body charged with accelerating Labour’s “clean power mission”.
Government sources said pushing ahead with the 2030 target was crucial to boost grid capacity and avoid the extra costs of so-called “constraint payments”. The payments – where wind farms are paid to turn their turbines off to avoid overloading the grid and risk energy blackouts – currently add up to around £1 billion a year.
But Mr Cartlidge countered that the proposed pylon roll-outs were likely to face legal challenges from local residents which would slow down their delivery, possibly until 2034, which would also add to costs.
The National Grid has outlined 17 major infrastructure projects to deliver on the 2030 target, including 112 miles of pylons running from Norwich to Tilbury in Essex.
Claire Coutinho, the shadow energy secretary, said: “In the Conservative manifesto we promised a rapid review of undergrounding precisely because the Energy System Operator said that this can save costs in the long run and protect the beautiful countryside which we all cherish.
“If Ed Miliband’s reckless 2030 decarbonisation target means that we end up paying through the nose for all the energy infrastructure he will need to build, then it is ordinary families that will be paying the price through higher taxes or higher bills.”
The Norwich to Tilbury development would see 520 pylons, each 164 feet tall, supporting a new high-voltage electricity transmission line between Norwich in Norfolk, Bramford in Suffolk and Tilbury in Essex. It would carry electricity generated by offshore wind farms through the Waveney Valley towards London.
The proposal is deeply unpopular with local residents and the leaders of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk county councils have called on National Grid to rethink their plans and opt for offshore cables instead.
They claim the pylons will “wreck” their landscapes and that their countryside will be disproportionately affected by the roll-out, which they say will scare off tourists and ruin farmland.
Along with Lincolnshire council leaders, they have warned that they will launch a High Court challenge to block Mr Miliband’s plans.
Earlier this month, the newly appointed net zero tsar announced that the Government has ruled out burying electricity cables underground as part of its energy strategy.
Chris Stark, the former leader of the Climate Change Committee who now heads the Government’s “mission control” department for decarbonising the grid, said he believed the benefits of underground cables were “overstated” and would “cost too much”.
He added: “We don’t want to end up in a situation where we delay the whole project by looking at those things.”
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “Underground cabling is more expensive and costs are borne by the electricity bill payer.
“Securing Britain’s clean energy future will require improving infrastructure in a cost-effective way to get renewable electricity on the grid. Without this infrastructure, we will never deliver clean power for the British people.
“It is important we take people with us and are considering ways to ensure communities who live near clean energy infrastructure can see the benefits of this.”
Published by the Sunday Telegraph.
