Labour warned pylons will be 'biggest issue this year' as Ed Miliband under fire
Tories say Labour's energy plans will damage the countryside and endanger food production
A new generation of electricity pylons is predicted to trigger some of biggest political rows Sir Keir Starmer's Government will face.
The Prime Minister has set ministers the mission of making Britain a “clean energy superpower” but furious arguments are expected over giant pylon developments.
The Conservatives are already on the attack, warning that Labour’s plans could damage the countryside and jeopardise food production.
A senior Labour figure said: “Pylons are going to be the biggest issue this year.”
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They predicted that “every single party” other than Labour will condemn the developments as the Government pursues its manifesto promise to “double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind by 2030”.
Controversy surrounds proposals for 114 mile pylon route from Norwich to Tilbury in Essex, with newly elected Green Party MP Adrian Ramsay calling for a “pause”.
The move to green technology is expected to send demand for electricity soaring – with the switch to electric vehicles and the replacement of gas boilers with electric heat pumps hiking up pressure on the grid.
The team around Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband are reportedly worried about the anger that pylon projects in rural England could generate.
Shadow Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: “It is clear that Labour neither values nor understands Britain’s rural communities. Their plans to concrete over valued greenbelt and damage rural landscapes with pylons are deeply concerning.
“Labour’s approach could also see valuable agricultural land taken out of food production, which could put our food security at risk.”
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The Tories also claim that Labour’s plans would mean erecting “wind turbines across the country as far as the eye can and in every direction”.
Earlier this year, the National Grid’s electricity systems operator said 4,000 miles of undersea cables and 1,000 miles of power lines were needed to hit the previous Government’s decarbonisation targets. The proposed upgrades would need nearly £60billion of investment and push up bills by £20 to £30 a year.
