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Putting pylons into place: a UK case study of public perspectives on the impacts of high voltage overhead transmission lines

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  • Matthew Cotton
  • Patrick Devine-Wright

Abstract

The siting of high voltage overhead transmission lines (HVOTLs) is often subject to public opposition where affected communities seek to protect local places. This study explores the perspectives of local citizens affected by a proposed HVOTL to connect new nuclear power at Hinkley Point in Southwest England. A two-day public workshop was held with 38 participants in an affected line-site community, using deliberative focus group methods to explore perceptions of environmental and social impacts, risks, governance arrangements and technology choices. The findings show how potential health effects from electric and magnetic fields (EMF) and visual impacts are perceived to industrialise rural places, disrupt place attachments and provoke local opposition. The findings challenge the ‘not-in-my-back-yard’ assumption that citizens are selfish place-protectionists that lack the technical sophistication necessary to take a strategic viewpoint on transmission system development. They also reveal how decision making under the former UK Infrastructure Planning Commission's (IPC) (and its successor body the Planning Inspectorate) presents a challenge to procedural justice, as front-loaded developer-led consultation practices curtail citizen input to key decisions on alternative technologies (for example, underground or undersea lines). This is likely to exacerbate public mistrust of transmission system operators and provoke further organised protest.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew Cotton & Patrick Devine-Wright, 2013. "Putting pylons into place: a UK case study of public perspectives on the impacts of high voltage overhead transmission lines," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(8), pages 1225-1245, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jenpmg:v:56:y:2013:i:8:p:1225-1245
    DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2012.716756
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    1. Sardaro, Ruggiero & Faccilongo, Nicola & Roselli, Luigi, 2019. "Wind farms, farmland occupation and compensation: Evidences from landowners’ preferences through a stated choice survey in Italy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    2. Zaunbrecher, Barbara S. & Linzenich, Anika & Ziefle, Martina, 2017. "A mast is a mast is a mast…? Comparison of preferences for location-scenarios of electricity pylons and wind power plants using conjoint analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 429-439.
    3. van Heek, Julia & Arning, Katrin & Ziefle, Martina, 2017. "Reduce, reuse, recycle: Acceptance of CO2-utilization for plastic products," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 53-66.
    4. Fink, Simon & Ruffing, Eva, 2020. "Learning in iterated consultation procedures – The example of the German electricity grid demand planning," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    5. David Wadley & Peter Elliott & Jung Hoon Han, 2017. "Modelling homeowners’ reactions to the placement of high voltage overhead transmission lines," International Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 114-127, April.
    6. Arning, K. & Offermann-van Heek, J. & Ziefle, M., 2021. "What drives public acceptance of sustainable CO2-derived building materials? A conjoint-analysis of eco-benefits vs. health concerns," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    7. Olivier JOALLAND & Tina RAMBONILAZA, 2017. "Assessing the impact of renewable energy infrastructure on the “tourist value” in rural landscapes: a spatial hedonic approach," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2017-10, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    8. Simora, Michael & Frondel, Manuel & Vance, Colin, 2020. "Do financial incentives increase the acceptance of power lines? Evidence from Germany," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    9. Cotton, Matthew & Rattle, Imogen & Van Alstine, James, 2014. "Shale gas policy in the United Kingdom: An argumentative discourse analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 427-438.
    10. Simora, Michael & Frondel, Manuel & Vance, Colin, 2018. "Does financial compensation increase the acceptance of power lines? Evidence from Germany," Ruhr Economic Papers 742, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    11. Simora, Michael, 2017. "The effect of financial compensation on the acceptance of power lines: Evidence from a randomized discrete choice experiment in Germany," Ruhr Economic Papers 729, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    12. Wenche Tobiasson & Tooraj Jamasb, 2014. "Sustainable Electricity Grid Development and the Public: An Economic Approach," Working Papers EPRG 1411, Energy Policy Research Group, Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.
    13. Rebecca J. Romsdahl & Christopher Felege & Joshua E. Hunter & Cheryl Hunter & Susan Ellis-Felege, 2022. "Americans Support for Renewable Energy is Disconnected from their Understanding of Powerline Infrastructure as a Mechanism to Mitigate Climate Change," Energy and Environment Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, June.
    14. Zi-Yun Zhang & Fang-Le Peng & Chen-Xiao Ma & Hui Zhang & Su-Juan Fu, 2021. "External Benefit Assessment of Urban Utility Tunnels Based on Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-23, January.
    15. Lienert, Pascal & Suetterlin, Bernadette & Siegrist, Michael, 2015. "Public acceptance of the expansion and modification of high-voltage power lines in the context of the energy transition," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 573-583.
    16. L. Alfredo Fernandez-Jimenez & Montserrat Mendoza-Villena & Eduardo Garcia-Garrido & Pedro M. Lara-Santillan & Pedro J. Zorzano-Santamaria & Enrique Zorzano-Alba & Alberto Falces, 2017. "High Voltage Overhead Power Line Routing under an Objective Observability Criterion," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-13, October.
    17. Cohen, Jed J. & Moeltner, Klaus & Reichl, Johannes & Schmidthaler, Michael, 2016. "Linking the value of energy reliability to the acceptance of energy infrastructure: Evidence from the EU," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 124-143.
    18. Jed J. Cohen & Johannes Reichl, 2022. "Comparing Internet and phone survey mode effects across countries and research contexts," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 66(1), pages 44-71, January.
    19. Jarry T. Porsius & Liesbeth Claassen & Fred Woudenberg & Tjabe Smid & Danielle R. M. Timmermans, 2017. "“These Power Lines Make Me Ill”: A Typology of Residents’ Health Responses to a New High‐Voltage Power Line," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(12), pages 2276-2288, December.
    20. Qing Yang & Yanxia Zhu & Xingxing Liu & Lingmei Fu & Qianqian Guo, 2019. "Bayesian-Based NIMBY Crisis Transformation Path Discovery for Municipal Solid Waste Incineration in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-21, April.
    21. Goda Perlaviciute & Linda Steg & Nadja Contzen & Sabine Roeser & Nicole Huijts, 2018. "Emotional Responses to Energy Projects: Insights for Responsible Decision Making in a Sustainable Energy Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-12, July.
    22. Plum, Christiane & Olschewski, Roland & Jobin, Marilou & van Vliet, Oscar, 2019. "Public preferences for the Swiss electricity system after the nuclear phase-out: A choice experiment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 181-196.

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