Tory pledge to review pylons could lead to energy bill hike, say experts | General election 2024

Energy and climate experts have opposed Conservative plans to review electricity pylons, saying the manifesto pledge could increase energy bills and make it harder to reach net zero.

Industry sources and climate action groups criticized the Tories over those of the party manifest commitment to conduct a “rapid review” of overhead pylons, it announced amid growing pressure from anti-pylon campaigners in rural areas.

The manifesto says the review will “consider moving to a presumption in favor of illegality [laying cables underground] where the price is competitive”. But government ministers have previously warned that burying power cables could cost up to 10 times more than pylons, delaying much-needed network improvements and increasing prices for bill payers.

Laurence Slade, chief executive of the Energy Networks Association, said: “Modernising the grid without delay is critical to meeting our future energy needs. It’s worth noting that in its independent review last year, the Government’s Electricity Networks Commissioner estimated that underground cables could cost five to ten times more than overhead costs.

Max Wakefield, co-director of climate charity Possible, said: “To decarbonize and reach our net zero targets, we will still need urgent action to upgrade our grid infrastructure, which is currently not fit for purpose , if we want to switch to renewable energy sources and away from fossil fuels.

“Anything that acted as a barrier to these improvements would hinder our climate progress at a time when we cannot afford to wait.”

Dale Vince, the founder of energy company Ecotricity and a Labor donor, said: “Talk of alternative grid technologies is nonsense. The choice is simple: overhead or underground power cables – and underground ones cost 10 times more. No one who is seriously concerned about the cost of energy will propose a ban on overhead cables.

The government commissioned Nick Winsor, former chief executive of the UK’s National Grid, to write a report on electricity networks in 2023. The report found: “There is a big difference in the cost of overhead lines, underground cables and offshore cables. Underground cables cost between five and 10 times more than overhead cables, and offshore cables are again more expensive.”

These findings were accepted by the then ministers. Lord Martin Callanan, Energy Secretary, said the Masters in 2023: “We need this new infrastructure and, unfortunately, it is impossible to say that no community will be affected. It’s possible to bury power lines, of course, but that’s up to 10 times more expensive, and that cost will fall on the bill payer.”

Since then, however, the Tories have faced increasing pressure from rural voters to abandon their pledge to build new poles, and some candidates are now actively campaigning against them in their own constituencies.

Among them is Andrew Bowie, who was sacked as energy secretary after it emerged he had campaigned against the poles in his own constituency. Bowie is now campaigning hard in his West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine seat against what he calls “monstrous pylons”.

John Hayes, who is seeking re-election as the MP for South Holland and Dappings, demanded in May that the government “recognise the threat of a monstrous series of pylons stretching down the east coast of England”.