Independent Advisory Group on Future Electricity Grid for Wales report and recommendations: Welsh Government response

Wales faces a period of unprecedented grid development over the next 25 years, following a quarter of a century in which very little large‑scale network expansion has taken place. 

Upgrading the grid at pace is essential for decarbonisation, energy security, and economic opportunity. Keeping people warm, charging electric vehicles and upgrading and expanding businesses will all be done using electricity. We calculate in our Future Energy Grids for Wales reports that we will need five times the renewables we now host to meet these demands in Wales.  This needs the grid to be improved and updated. We must therefore improve how we plan and deliver this change - without introducing delays that would slow progress for industry or communities.

I want to thank the Independent Advisory Group for its work and for providing practical, evidence‑based recommendations about how proposals for new electricity grid should be considered. The Welsh Government welcomes this report as an important step toward ensuring our electricity grid can meet Wales’s future needs.

As Wales approaches a period of electoral change, responsibility for determining how these conclusions and recommendations are progressed will pass to a future Welsh Government. This response is therefore intended to support continuity and informed consideration of the issues identified. Final commitment to actions outlined in this response will be subject to decisions of the next government.

Recommendation summary:

The Welsh Government should ensure people and businesses in Wales are well-prepared for the grid changes needed for decarbonisation, with a clear communication plan to inform and support everyone through the transition. This plan should highlight the benefits of infrastructure changes and provide information about support and compensation for those affected.

Response: accept

If people across Wales are to support delivery of the electricity network required for a fairer low carbon future, it is essential that the relevant information and evidence is available and that the Welsh Government is appropriately positioned to promote and add to the work that is already underway in the energy sector.

We will begin exploring options for strengthening the evidence base through social research and two-way dialogue with the public. The evidence obtained can be used to inform Government policy decisions and communications to build public understanding of the need for electricity network investment in Wales. 

The Welsh Government has an established national Climate Action Wales public engagement and communications programme, which involves listening the views of the general public and communicating sources of support and information on climate change. Through this programme, we can develop a strengthened and coherent narrative that highlights the critical role of grid infrastructure in addressing climate change, and can use established engagement platforms such as Wales Climate Week and the Climate Conversations Grant fund to add to the work that is already underway to engage communities in discussion on the grid infrastructure. There will also be opportunities to work with other organisations including governments and network companies to build on existing public dialogue on networks.

Recommendation summary:

The Welsh Government should promote or commission accessible, factual information about electricity grid infrastructure, explaining technical aspects and options in a way that is easy for the public to understand.

Response: accept

Welsh Government recognises the benefits from making clear and accessible information about electricity network infrastructure widely available to the public and stakeholders. We agree that this can support clarity around network choices, particularly for those impacted by potential developments, and enhance the conversations at consultation between all stakeholders.

We will explore routes to work with technical specialists and industry partners to develop clear, accessible information on the technologies and technical options involved in electricity infrastructure and network development. We can also collaborate with communications professionals and representatives of the intended audience to ensure these materials are easy to understand and effectively support conversations with those affected, including individuals who are not specialists in this field.

Recommendation summary:

The Welsh Government should provide a clear overview of the processes involved in major infrastructure projects, including timelines, stages, and opportunities for public input. This will help people understand how and when they can engage and may identify ways to speed up delivery to meet decarbonisation targets.

Response: accept

Providing detailed information about decision-making, timelines, and opportunities for public involvement in grid development is likely to support better public understanding of the process. This insight could help focus expectations around engagement opportunities, outlining the timeframes associated with large infrastructure projects, and promoting effective stakeholder participation with those processes at the critical consultation phases.

Welsh Government will explore routes to undertake or commission work to develop clearer and more accessible public information on the processes associated with grid infrastructure project planning and delivery. This would build on the emphasis placed on community engagement throughout the process found within the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024, and include working with specialist partners to ensure technical accuracy and relevance, drawing on expertise from organisations such as the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, planning bodies, and other relevant technical stakeholders. We anticipate graphic and visual approaches playing an important role in this work.

Recommendation summary:

The Welsh Government should work with GB-wide organisations to commission reports comparing the costs and technical characteristics of transmission and distribution infrastructure, including environmental impacts and alternative techniques. This is especially important for distribution networks in Wales.

Response: accept

Robust decision-making calls for equally robust and data-led evidence to support those decisions for both short-term and for future system benefit. The Welsh Government supports improving the data and evidence for costs and technical characteristics for different infrastructure options, particularly at distribution level where evidence is less well developed.

Welsh Government agrees that we need a report which includes a focus on distribution level costs. Welsh Government recognise that it will be important to define the scope of any report to ensure that technologies such as cable ploughing are included when considering cost and speed of approaches. Officials will work with industry specialists, such as the Electricity Networks Association and Ofgem, to scope how best to deliver the work and establish costs and timelines to inform commissioning decisions. 

Recommendation summary:

The Welsh Government should collaborate with network companies and innovation programmes to consider cable ploughing as an option for specific routes, building on existing knowledge and understanding its costs, impacts, and suitability across different voltages and landscapes.

Response: accept in principle

Welsh Government’s preferred policy position is that electricity networks should be undergrounded where possible. The Welsh Government agrees that further exploration of cable ploughing could provide valuable data to develop industry agreement about when this undergrounding technique is best used, and the costs relative to other delivery techniques. 

There is the opportunity to build on the insights and contacts developed through the IAG work to collate more detailed evidence on the use of cable ploughing. This could include working with network companies to identify where further technical, cost or operational detail is needed, and clarifying whether the main gaps relate to understanding comparative costs, site suitability, or wider sector awareness of where the technique is most effective. This evidence gathering would identify whether targeted studies or trials are required to support greater and more consistent consideration of cable ploughing in grid delivery. Officials will explore the potential for action to inform early decisions by a future Government. 

Accepting this and other recommendations in principle indicates that delivering the intent of the IAG will need the involvement and cooperation of a number of other organisations. The next Welsh Government will decide whether to act as convener and leader in driving this work forward.

Recommendation summary:

The Welsh Government should review its policy approach to grid infrastructure projects, aiming to enhance decision-making and transparency. 

Response: accept

It is important that all relevant policy areas support both timely delivery of essential energy networks and the well‑being and environmental principles embedded in Welsh legislation. 

We consider it essential to establish an overarching strategic policy position for grid infrastructure at a national level, and an integrated approach towards planning for energy developments and additional electricity grid network infrastructure. These broader frameworks could then be used support work to identify where planning policy enhancements are required.

The next Welsh Government could consider committing to developing more detailed policy in relation to electricity networks, supporting transparent and consistent decision‑making in this area.

Recommendation summary:

The Welsh Government should consider developing a structured framework for reviewing infrastructure planning and consenting applications, ensuring all costs, impacts, and benefits are considered.

Response: accept 

The Welsh Government is committed to transparency, particularly in how decisions are made, how impacts are assessed, and how different technical options are considered. The Significant Infrastructure Projects (SIP) process under the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 came into effect on 15 December 2025 - a process that was developed in partnership with all stakeholders. It ensures all relevant considerations are taken into account in the decision-making process and it provides detailed guidance on engaging with communities with projects of this type.

We are also committed to supporting consenting bodies to make timely and robust decisions in this complex area.

We recognise sufficient skills and resources are needed to enable an effective and efficient system for applications. The recently published report by RTPI Cymru Public Sector Planning Resources in Wales identifies significant resourcing challenges with emerging needs related to regional planning, casework and major infrastructure projects, and we have already taken steps to support the provision of infrastructure resources on a regional basis.

The next Welsh Government could explore developing a structured, consistent framework for presenting costs, impacts and alternatives within planning processes for grid infrastructure.

Recommendation summary:

The Welsh Government should work with stakeholders to identify and address gaps in evidence used to assess the impacts of grid infrastructure, commissioning research as needed to ensure decisions can fully consider environmental, social, cultural, and economic effects.

Response: accept in principle

The Welsh Government recognises the need for a stronger, more coherent evidence base on the environmental, social, cultural and economic impacts of grid infrastructure. Understanding the long‑term and cumulative impacts across Wales from electricity networks is important to be able to meet the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act principles in this context and the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) has already highlighted a substantial number of areas requiring further work. 

We recognise the wide-ranging areas of evidence base identified by the Group and acknowledge that further developing this evidence base will be a substantial, long‑term undertaking. This work would need to be broken into clear, manageable components, supported by the right partners in government, industry and academia, and underpinned by appropriate research resources.

The Welsh Government commissioned three literature reviews to support the IAG. These provide an early foundation on which a broader, more strategic programme of evidence development can now be built.

Given the UK‑wide nature of network planning and regulation, the Welsh Government will write to the UK Government to establish a partnership approach to delivering this programme of work.

Welsh Government agrees with the conclusions of the Independent Advisory Group that clearer public information, better communication, and more visible processes will support trust, reduce conflict, and help vital network projects proceed more smoothly.

This report provides the foundation to inform future discussion and decision‑making. We look to our next government term to take forward these recommendations in a way that supports rapid grid development, reflects the needs and values of Wales, and ensures our energy system is ready for the decades ahead.