Energy bill discounts of £250 a year included in new plans
New transmission cables and pylons are needed across the country to upgrade ageing electricity networks, connect up new wind and solar farms, nuclear power plants and large scale battery storage, and reinforce the grid to cope with the planned rise in electric heat pumps and car charging in homes.
The Government says around twice as much new transmission network infrastructure will be needed by 2030 as has been built in the past decade.
But building new pylons and cables through the British countryside has faced a backlash, with homeowners and campaigners concerned about the visual impact and disruption to local areas and beauty spots.
(Image: John Kelly)
The Government hopes cash benefits to local people will reduce opposition and planning delays to the infrastructure needed to deliver the clean energy plans.
Households within 500 metres (a third of a mile) of new or upgraded electricity transmission infrastructure could receive a discount of up to £250 via their electricity bill every year for 10 years, totalling £2,500.
The discounts, which would be assigned to the home, and applied to the occupant, could be provided in instalments of £125 every six months.
Minister for energy consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said: 'As we build the infrastructure we need to deliver homegrown, affordable energy, communities must be given a stake.
'That is why we are teaming up with communities hosting new pylons to ensure they receive direct, tangible benefits.
'We are on the side of those who want Britain to get back to what it does best: building for the future, driving innovation and putting communities first.'
Shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie said it was 'right that communities get some payback for pylons – with this scheme following initiatives started by the last Conservative government'.
But he added that the public should 'be in no doubt' that more communities would see pylons built nearby 'as a consequence of Labour's net zero by 2050 zealotry'.
Mr Bowie said the Government was now having to 'scramble to try and build the infrastructure needed to support their mad green projects' and urged more investment in nuclear power rather than solar.
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