Scottish Minister Gives the Go Ahead for 137 Mile Power Line

Environmentalists are currently divided over plans to construct pylons to connect wind and wave power to the grid. Britain’s largest overhead power line project has just been approved despite fierce protests over the decision to erect towering pylons along 220km of the Highland’s finest scenery.

The long awaited approval of the power line, which will stretch from Beauly near Inverness to Denny near Falkirk on pylons up to 65 meters high, is expected to jump start a huge overhaul in the UK’s electricity network at a cost of up to £4.7 billion. The decision was applauded by the renewable energy industry and backed by many leading environment groups. They said that the new line, which will be upgraded from 132kV to 400kV, was essential for plans to ramp up the output from wind, wave and tidal power projects. This big line will get the power from remote parts of the UK and deliver it to cities.

However, some people accused the Scottish government of sacrificing large areas of the Highlands. This includes the treasured beauty spots in Perthshire, such as Queen’s View on Loch Tummel. Helen McDade of the landscape conservative charity John Muir Trust, which is one of the project’s fiercest critics, said it was a black day when this project got the go ahead. She went on to say that marching a 220km mega pylon line through some of the most world renowned landscapes may be the most lucrative option for the energy industry, but it is the wrong choice for Scotland.

The Scottish energy minister, Jim Matcher, said the Beauly to Denny line was crucial in his government’s efforts to generate up to 50 percent of Scotland’s energy from renewable sources and meet its promise to cut Scotland’s CO2 emissions by 42 percent by 2020. This line is a must to continue to battle global warming.