Campaign

If you are lucky enough to live in the Towy Valley we are your neighbours! We come from all walks of life and represent all age groups and professions. We are united by a common cause. To protect the outstanding bucolic landscape of the Towy Valley from the scourge of pylons and industrialisation.

We represent those residents who oppose the industrialisation of our valley. The Towy Valley has a long history of being regarded as one of Britain’s finest landscapes. It is recognised by Natural Resources Wales as an outstanding visual landscape and is registered as an outstanding historic landscape by CADW. Home to the oldest town in the Wales, the Towy is known for its history and literary connections. These range from the ancient Welsh stories of the Mabinogion to John Dyer’s Grongar Hill to JMW Turner’s sketches and watercolours. Not only that, the Tywi Valley is home to Wales’ Botanic Gardens, Aberglasney Gardens as well as a string of historic houses, scenic castles and follies.

We’re not opposed to renewable energy. However, renewables and energy infrastructure must respect the Towy Valley’s landscape, 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 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 on a 32 acres site 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. This will have a devastating effect on both the landscape and the local economy which is dependent on tourism and farming.

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 offshore 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:

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 has already held two sets of consultation meetings in various locations along the route. Thousands of residents have attended and demonstrated their opposition. Bute Energy’s, Green Gen Cymru has now received its OFGEM Licence and residents are braced for the next stage of the battle for the future of the Towy Valley.

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.