Jane Dodds Makes Further Demands on Welsh Government to Underground Cables and Protect Rural Landscapes

Jane Dodds MS has renewed calls on the Welsh Government to require the undergrounding of electricity cables, as she addressed the Protect Wales protest. The demonstration called for stronger safeguards to protect rural communities from large scale energy parks and new overhead pylons.

In the most recent budget agreement, Jane Dodds secured £1 million in funding for a Visual Impact Innovation Fund. The fund will support trials and gather evidence on new undergrounding technologies, helping to explore practical alternatives to overhead infrastructure in sensitive areas.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats say they are committed to environmental policies that both tackle climate change and protect the character of Wales’ landscapes and communities. The party supports the transition away from fossil fuels but argues that renewable energy developments must be planned in a way that respects the countryside and the people who live there.

For too long, Wales has experienced a model of energy development that extracts our natural resources — our wind, our sun, our water, and our tides — with too little respect paid to the communities who host this infrastructure. Local people too rarely see meaningful economic return, decision‑making power, or long‑term community benefit.

We are increasingly concerned about developments that treat Welsh natural resources as something to be harvested for the benefit of distant shareholders, with minimal engagement or accountability to local residents. Communities deserve genuine consultation, shared ownership, and a fair return for hosting major renewable infrastructure.

Speaking at the protest, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds MS, said:

“We cannot afford to lose our countryside. Once these wind turbines and pylons are in place, the impact on our landscapes will be long lasting and, in many cases, irreversible.

“Local people feel that their concerns are being overlooked while large developers push ahead with major projects. That is not how the transition to green energy should work. Communities must be properly listened to and meaningfully involved in decisions that affect their area.

“We need a balanced approach. We must move away from fossil fuels, but we must also protect the beauty and character of rural Wales. That is why the Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling on the Welsh Government to prioritise undergrounding cables wherever possible and to put local communities at the heart of its energy strategy.”

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are urging the Welsh Government to work with communities, industry and environmental experts to ensure that Wales leads the way in delivering renewable energy in a way that is both sustainable and sensitive to its unique landscapes.