Independent Advisory Group on Future Electricity Grid for Wales meeting summary: 25 November 2024
Summary of meeting, 25 November 2024
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The Independent Advisory Group for the Future Electricity Grid for Wales met on 25 November 2024. The agenda included impact on plant life, impact on avian life and sub-group feedback.
Sub-group meetings and updates
Sub-group meetings were facilitated prior to the November meeting, and updates from the sub-groups were presented, focusing on questionnaire development, evidence compilation, and public understanding of network costs.
Questionnaire development
The group is working on a questionnaire to gather technical data from network companies, emphasizing the importance of formal requests to ensure serious and quick responses.
Environmental and community impacts
Evidence is being compiled on environmental, community, and business impacts, including wildlife protection, flood risk, and community benefits from electricity transmission.
Costs and public understanding
The group is seeking to improve public understanding of network cost variations by translating technical information into lay language and considering factors such as local engineering challenges and international market prices.
Presentation on underground cables
Lizzie Wilberforce from Plant Life UK presented on the impact of underground cables on plant life, highlighting the importance of fungi and the challenges of mitigating impacts on mycologically rich sites.
Presentation on overhead lines
Ian Hartley from Lancaster Environment Centre discussed the impact of overhead power lines on avian life, focusing on bird strikes and mitigation measures such as diverters and undergrounding cables.
Future meetings
The group will continue to meet after Christmas to continue the work to gather and review evidence. Additional sub-group meetings will also be scheduled in the interim.