Renewable energy industry welcomes plan for lower bills for people living near new pylons

Commenting on the Government's Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will be published this week, RenewableUK's Head of Policy James Robottom said:

"We welcome the Government’s latest steps to help get Britain building the infrastructure it so desperately needs. It's right that local communities should benefit from hosting new and upgraded pylons, so this guarantee that they will have significantly lower electricity bills is a positive step forward. We recognise the need to bring communities with us as we build the clean energy system of the future by ensuring that they have a tangible stake in it.

"This will help to enable the roll-out of much-needed new grid infrastructure at a faster pace, so that we can make the most of the vast amounts of clean power we're producing, by transporting it more efficiently from where it's generated to where it's needed in homes and businesses all over the country. Our switch to an energy system dominated by renewables will also strengthen the UK's energy security by reducing our exposure to volatile international gas markets which caused the recent spike in energy bills, so it's a win-win all round".