plexus

Pylon Pressure

04 November 2005

Scottish and Southern Energy have lodged plans to build a new powerline from Beauly near Inverness to Denny in Stirlingshire. This line is needed in order to assist in carrying power generated by the many new wind turbine farms being built in the Highlands, down to the Central Belt and England. Whilst most of us wholeheartedly support an increase in renewable energy sources, the Balblair station near Beauly is already the central point for a number of powerlines. Many of these have been in place since the building of the Hydro dams in the 40s and 50s, but this means that this area of beautiful countryside has more than its fair share of pylons already. The pylons for the new powerline will be taller and much larger than existing ones, and even more worryingly, the Government's plans for increasing renewable energy mean that after this new line there are likely to need to be two more. Pylon Pressure is focussing on getting a Public Enquiry about these lines, with the intention of having them buried for part of their length, avoiding Beauly and district becoming the 'Pylon Capital of the Highlands'.