About Us

  Who we are

The Llandovery Pylon Community Action Group is an independent community group campaigning against the erection of 27m tall electricity pylons in the Towy Valley. We are non-political volunteers, with a broad range of expertise and knowledge, united in our commitment to do all we can to prevent this proposal going ahead. We believe we represent the vast majority of residents and visitors of the Towy Valley who are also opposed to this scheme as well as many supporters from further afield. We fully support renewable energy but believe that our need for energy must not decimate the communities it passes through. Any new energy infrastructure must also respect the environment, not damage it. The Towy Valley is an area of outstanding natural beauty and heritage and we wish to ensure that it remains intact for future generations. The proposed installation of pylons would cause immense damage locally, with national repercussions.

  The Cause

The Green GEN Towy Usk (Bute Energy/Green GEN Cymru) proposal involves the construction of an electricity transmission network for a new 132kV double-circuit overhead line through the Towy Valley. The network would be supported by tall steel pylons (minimum height 27m – maximum distance apart 250m) between a sub-station at the proposed Nant Mithil Energy Park (which planning permission is yet to be applied for) in the Radnor Forest area and a new sub-station to be developed by the National Grid on the existing 400kV transmission line near Llandyfaelog between Carmarthen and Pont Abraham.

The proposed 60 mile long stretch of pylons would cut through some of the most beautiful landscapes in rural and mid Wales. A large section of the route would tear through the exceptional beauty of the Towy Valley and close to the towns of Llandovery and Llandeilo and their surrounding villages. We believe this would have an extensive and long-term effect on both the landscape and the local economy, with adverse effects on the environment, the communities who live and work here and for the many people who visit the area.

This is being promoted as a ‘green energy pathway’ across Wales to provide electricity for a Net Zero world and for the benefit of Wales. However, Wales is already a net exporter of electricity, providing twice our domestic needs, and it is unclear how projects such as the one proposed by Bute Energy/Green GEN Cymru would benefit Welsh communities. We are aware that other projects off shore are currently in the planning and build stages which, potentially, could provide Wales with all the green energy it needs. With current infrastructure working at, or near capacity, it is probable that very little of the generated power from the Green GEN Towy Usk project would be utilised in Wales and that most of it would be exported.

Bute Energy/Green GEN Cymru’s preferred route:

What we are doing

The news about the project broke in January 2023, when Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) was shown a document from Bute Energy that had been sent to landowners across Wales talking about their proposals. Since then, public meetings have been held and community groups have been forming along the route to oppose what is viewed as the visual destruction of the areas impacted, and also the potential effects on farming and tourism which form the backbone of this area of Wales and the communities who live along the route. Online petitions have been set up by Countryside Alliance Wales and local Plaid Cymru politicians in opposition to the plans and these have already been signed by thousands. There is clear and strong opposition to these plans.

Bute Energy/Green GEN Cymru held consultation meetings in four locations on the route and asked for feedback on their proposals. Hundreds attended and local groups helped local residents with writing their letters of objection to the scheme by the consultation deadline of April 28th 2023. The next steps are now for Bute Energy/Green GEN Cymru, who are yet to receive their licence from OFGEM, to consider the feedback and draft a consultation report as they begin the formal process for submission of their application to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW). The scale of the proposals mean that the project will be classed as a Development of National Significance (DNS). It is PEDW who process DNS applications on behalf of Welsh Ministers, who will ultimately make the final decision on whether planning permission should be granted.

For us, as a group, along with others, we are developing our own plans to put pressure on both Bute Energy/Green GEN Cymru and PEDW. We want to preserve our beautiful rural area for future generations and not allow it to be uprooted and devalued for profit.

To this end we are:

• Lobbying our political representatives
• Writing to the decision makers in the Senedd
• Organising petitions
• Raising the profile of the intended project via mainstream and social media to promote the idea of a rethink
• Raising public awareness through meetings
• Putting up signage in prominent locations

Please join our campaign at this critical time. Whatever your reasons for opposing this project, please get in touch. You can subscribe to our mailing list on the Join Us page or else contact us here.