Labour to Push Ahead with Pylon Plans Despite Costly Underground Alternatives

Labour has confirmed it will proceed with building more electricity pylons across England and Wales, rejecting calls to bury cables underground after a new report found doing so would be about 4.5 times more expensive than overhead lines.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) report estimated that a 15km overhead line would cost around £40m, compared to £330m for underground cables—or £820m if placed in tunnels. Underground construction would also take significantly longer, threatening Labour’s 2030 renewable energy targets.

The issue has become politically charged, particularly in areas like Lincolnshire, where Reform UK and Conservative candidates are campaigning against pylons, calling them a blight on the countryside. Labour’s energy secretary, Ed Miliband, defended the decision, criticizing the Greens for opposing new infrastructure and framing pylons as a necessary “hard choice” for cheaper, clean energy.

The government plans to compensate households living near new pylons with £2,500 off their energy bills over 10 years. Labour leader Keir Starmer emphasized that choosing overhead pylons is crucial to avoid heavy costs on taxpayers while modernizing the energy grid.