In recent weeks, Green GEN Cymru has notified landowners of changes to its land agents, with Dalcour Maclaren now understood to be involved in aspects of the programme. These developments come as Senedd Members went straight to work on ensuring that Plaid Cymru were held to account on their position of undergrounding new electricity cables.

In Plenary sessions over the past few weeks, Members from across the Senedd have repeatedly raised concerns about the balance between Wales’s net zero ambitions and the impact of new pylon routes on rural landscapes, farmland and local communities.

That growing momentum reflects concerns raised in communities across Wales for many months, that the transition to net zero must not come at the expense of rural environments, productive agricultural land, or the voices of those who live and work in these areas.

Reform UK has led much of that debate. James Evans challenged the Welsh government to reject proposals that would industrialise large parts of mid Wales through extensive networks of pylons and associated infrastructure. Gareth Beer highlighted the cumulative impact of "massive wind turbines, huge solar sites, substations, and miles and miles of pylons" on communities in Carmarthenshire, warning that rural Wales should not be expected to shoulder a disproportionate burden in delivering energy policy.

Reform UK colleague Sarah Edwards also gave a voice to residents affected by proposed pylon routes, urging ministers to meet directly with communities who feel they have been excluded from the decision-making process. Sarah’s path to the Senedd was born out of her lengthy campaigning work opposing pylons in her community. Together, these interventions demonstrate that Reform UK has made protecting rural communities from inappropriate energy infrastructure a clear priority during the opening weeks of the new Senedd.

The concerns have not been confined to one party. Conservative leader Darren Millar also challenged the government over planning policies that are allowing what he described as pylons "marching across the whole of the countryside", arguing that the current approach to large-scale renewable developments requires urgent review.

However, perhaps the most significant contribution came from the Welsh government itself.

Responding during Plenary on 2 June, Enterprise and Energy Minister Adam Price made the government's position unmistakably clear. He stated: "Our position on pylons, on new distribution lines, is absolutely clear," before going on to question whether extensive new overhead electricity lines represent the most cost-effective solution. Those comments amount to the clearest ministerial acknowledgement to date that long overhead distribution lines are not necessarily the right answer and that alternatives deserve serious consideration. This is a far cry from the former Labour leader Eluned Morgan’s position which undoubtedly damaged her campaign.

The Countryside Alliance and communities across Wales have consistently argued that undergrounding, greater use of existing infrastructure and less intrusive solutions should be properly explored before new pylon routes are approved. The minister's comments suggest that those concerns are now being recognised at the highest level of government. The challenge now is for ministers to ensure that their words are reflected in planning decisions. If the government's position on new distribution lines is indeed "absolutely clear", communities across Wales will rightly expect future decisions to demonstrate that commitment.

Rural Wales supports cleaner energy, but it must not come at any cost. The Countryside Alliance will continue to work with all Members who are prepared to champion a balanced approach, one that delivers energy security while protecting the countryside and the communities that depend upon it.