The Welsh Government has launched a public consultation on proposals to make underground cabling the default requirement for all new medium-voltage electricity lines across Wales.

The proposed planning policy update applies to infrastructure between 11kV and 132kV, fulfilling a manifesto commitment to phase out large steel lattice pylons on devolved energy projects. Under the draft guidelines, overhead options would only be considered if strict planning criteria are met, with any above-ground installations restricted to lower-impact alternatives such as wooden poles.

Unveiling the consultation, Adam Price, Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, framed the policy as a necessary balance between meeting the nation’s climate targets and protecting local communities.

“We’re delivering on our manifesto commitment to end the use of steel lattice pylons and ensuring the default position for new electricity lines in Wales are underground," said Mr Price.

"The transition to a low-carbon energy system is central to our ambition to reach net zero by 2040 and to deliver our productivity mission.

“We know the necessary changes in the way energy is generated and used in Wales will require new grid infrastructure; however, we also know that new infrastructure can impact on the communities and the environment that hosts it.

“We want to see infrastructure that is sensitively designed to minimise impacts on the environment and the communities that host them, while offering the maximum benefits for Wales.”

James Evans, Reform MS for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, questioned whether the draft policy would impact controversial active schemes, specifically Green GEN Cymru’s proposed Towy Usk project. The 98-kilometre connection between the Nant Mithil Energy Park in Powys and Carmarthenshire currently includes roughly 92 kilometres of overhead lines using wooden poles and steel monopoles.

Mr Evans, who has called for planning decisions to be paused until updated guidance is introduced, welcomed the consultation but warned against delays in implementation.

“For years I have been calling for electricity cables associated with these large-scale energy developments to be undergrounded rather than having miles of overhead lines cutting through our countryside,” he said.

“I welcome the fact that the Welsh Government is now consulting on an underground-first approach, but we need to see what this will actually mean in practice.

“Our communities deserve to know whether this new policy will apply to developments already in the planning pipeline, and whether companies will now be expected to properly reconsider undergrounding their proposed connections.

“Plaid Cymru made a clear commitment on undergrounding during the election, and people across rural Wales will rightly expect that promise to be delivered. The Welsh Government must now provide clarity on how this policy will be implemented, when it will take effect and what it means for communities already facing the prospect of major electricity infrastructure developments.”

The Welsh Conservatives also welcomed the consultation.

Andrew RT Davies, Shadow Minister for Farming and the Environment, said: “We recognise that Wales needs a modern electricity network to support economic growth, but communities should not have to accept eyesores across our beautiful natural landscapes, which must be conserved.”