How can Energy providers install electric pylons on greenbelt land?
Because nimbys stopped the provision of generators in their back yard yet still want increasing amounts of cheap electricity, so the off-shore wind and nuclear powerstations (which are not as cheap as local wind or hydro) have to be connected to the consumers somehow. putting underground is very expensive, using longer routes also costs more and losses more power on the way; we already have thousands of households in fuel poverty, and it could make our businesses uncompetative too. Alain de Botton has a useful chapter on powerlines in his book the pleasures and sorrows of work, which I recommend http://www.alaindebotton.com/. My guess is that addicts to cheap energy don’t like being reminded that it has to come from somewhere, is finite, and however supplied it will have real environmental and economic cost.
