THE leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats has renewed calls on the Welsh Government to require the undergrounding of electricity cables, as she addressed the Protect Wales protest.

The party says it is committed to environmental policies that tackle climate change, but that Wales has experienced a model of energy development that extracts natural resources while local people too rarely see economic return, decision‑making power, or community benefit.

In the most recent budget agreement, Jane Dodds MS secured £1 million in funding for a Visual Impact Innovation Fund. The fund will support trials and gather evidence on new undergrounding technologies, helping to explore practical alternatives to overhead infrastructure in sensitive areas.

Speaking at the protest, she said: “We cannot afford to lose our countryside. Once these wind turbines and pylons are in place, the impact on our landscapes will be long lasting and, in many cases, irreversible.”

The demonstration called for stronger safeguards to protect rural communities from large scale energy parks and new overhead pylons.

“Local people feel that their concerns are being overlooked while large developers push ahead with major projects. That is not how the transition to green energy should work. Communities must be properly listened to and meaningfully involved in decisions that affect their area.

“We need a balanced approach. We must move away from fossil fuels, but we must also protect the beauty and character of rural Wales. That is why the Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling on the Welsh Government to prioritise undergrounding cables wherever possible and to put local communities at the heart of its energy strategy.”

The party is urging the Welsh Government to work with communities, industry and environmental experts to ensure that Wales leads the way in delivering renewable energy in a way that is both sustainable and sensitive to its unique landscapes.