Put power lines underground
Vast swathes of the British countryside are set to be blighted by hundred's of super-pylons needed to carry electricity from offshore windfarms to the National Grid.
Cherished views of outstanding national beauty from the Lake District to Snowdonia to Suffolk and Somerset will be scarred by National Grid's intention to build nearly 1000 of the 160ft pylons.
Pylons are technology that dates from the 1960's and should be obsolete like typewriters. The UK is changing to renewable electricity generation but has no plans to change transmission technology. This is madness. All new power lines should go underground. The extra cost is very small about £10 per household for all the new power lines planned. We must protect our countryside for future generations and avoid the health risks of electromagnetic radiation.
Vote to put power lines underground.
Paul
shared this idea
388 comments
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Rich
commented
Check out my suggestion that will also stop these pylons:
http://38degrees.uservoice.com/forums/78585-campaign-suggestions/suggestions/3911045-biofuels-that-reduce-co2-for-stable-and-plentiful- -
Anonymous
commented
Put all future power cables underground, but better still look at other renewable energy sources that will have less visual impact on our beautiful landscape. Who are we to destroy the land , future generations will not thank us.
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Terry
commented
Already windfarms in America are reaching the end of their life and just being abandoned to stand idle as monuments to the folly of windfarms
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Crybaby
commented
Put WHAT underground NOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!??? Your argument? Come on, develop a point of view beyond the childish at least!
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Anonymous
commented
PUT IT UNDER GROUND NOOOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!!
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Huw
commented
You mention snowdonia in your list. How are they going to put the power lines under the granite mountains? I think the last estimate I saw for trying this was in thea mynydd mawr area and would cost £1 000 000 a mile. Who's going to pay?
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Richard
commented
I agree, all new power lines should be underground. It is harder to dissipate heat underground, which is one reason why cables have to be thicker and thus more expensive, it's also cheaper to erect a pylon than dig a trench.
However if we promote solar panels on roofs (and other similar renewable technologies) then a larger portion of the is consumed nearer to it's source thus reducing the amount of energy travelling across said power lines.
In short, I agree, lay them underground.
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Will Smith
commented
A lot of people here use words like “they”. Sorry to be a moral killjoy but its YOU that’s causing this. YOU use and need electricity. Whether it’s in the air or underground its the Bottom line. There are so very many few actual facts on this comments page its almost funny. Pylons have been around for MUCH longer than the 60s. Before 1940 they were used as transmission towers especially for short and medium wave, occasionally lattice towers consisting of wood were utilized. The sheer cost alone will raise your bill by about 15%. Were gonna look stupid telling power companies to do this whilst lowering our bills - unless we are prepared to PAY for this it won’t happen. On the Eco side how exactly do you think it will help by digging massive scars through forests to achieve this. The fact is folks that Pylons are the lesser of two evils. I like neither but know logically what I’d choose. If you want a much higher EMF level then stick ‘em underground but trust me you don’t want to live near high EMFs either. What will happen when they need repair work? Get the diggers in Once again – just when the Earth and flora heal. This is more (if not equally) about Nimbyism than anything else and quite a waste of time and credibility for 38 degrees
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Susie Ives
commented
I vote wholeheartedly to put all lines underground. We are not being told the true cost of this, but it must be far cheaper than they say! We cannot allow our beautiful countryside to be ruined on our watch to save a few bob.
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Paul Ives
commented
I vote for this, but I cannot understand the thinking. In order to 'save our planet', which is 100% laudable, we have to destroy our heritage - our wonderful countryside. Can anyone explain that please?
Also, whatever the costings are of pylons versus underground cables, householders are paying for pylons anyway, as those of us that have pylons placed near their homes are not only faced with the awful look of them, but faced with devaluation of their properties of up to 33%.
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Colin Megson
commented
I've voted for this but I've also voted for "UK Manufacture of Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors", which would make underground power lines even more likely.
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Richard Gillam
commented
It would help enormously if the TRUE costs are displayed not the false ones
which are being bandies about -
A. DiGiovanni
commented
Keep up the good work to keep Britain beautiful.
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John Rodgers
commented
As residents of Somerset and regular visitors to Wales, we support every effort to put power lines underground. In both locations, the impact on the visual environment would be devistating. In both locations, the economic effect on tourism would become apparent very quickly.
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JohnT
commented
A lot of comments are ill informed because NG disclose misleading figures. I had considered starting a new topic ' that the proposed new pylons be banned until independent costing of undergrounding has taken place'. But I think it would be better not to split the vote so I'll vote for this, but please keep my suggestion in mind if this one becomes a runner. JohnT
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Tim Pryce
commented
Underground or not at all! Our landscape cannot be destroyed for present and future generations. The recent design competition for a so called modern pylon is a PR exercise by the DECC and National Grid, and I am very annoyed with the RIBA for working with these organisations in promoting such a backward solution for transporting high voltage electricity.
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Helen Bennett
commented
If we have to have them they must go underground!
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Susan Gardner
commented
long term lines must be underground.Expensive in the first instance but better for repair,reliability and sustainability.Also does not affect tourism health,well being.I would pay a one off tax to ensure preservation of landscape etc. for the futureCheap short termism
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julie day
commented
surely they are safer underground than above
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David Holland
commented
With the value of tourism in the areas effected by current pylon proposals being counted in £billions per county, per year, the cost to underground new transmission systems is justified by the need to protect this important aspect of the rural economy alone. National Grid's own figures show that the annual cost to each household to underground all of the currently proposed lines is actually below £5 - quite a bargain! Add to this the the value of the landscape through its impact on wellbeing and quality of life and the case for all future electricity transmission systems to be installed underground is irrefutable.
