The company planning to build a wind farm in the Radnor Forest area is applying for a license which will give it expanded powers.
Bute Energy, which is behind plans for a new mass wind farm in Nant Mithil Energy Park, have confirmed that they are applying for an Independent Distribution Network Operator licence.
The licence, which is also held by the National Grid and certain housing developers, would allow the company to have access to land to build pylons and in extreme circumstances use a compulsory purchase order to acquire land.
The company, however, has stressed that the intention of the application is to help gain access and that it wants to work with members of the community on a voluntary basis and reiterated that the project would push Wales a long way towards its target of net zero emissions.
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A spokesperson for Bute Energy said: “At Bute Energy we are taking action now to help deliver clean, green energy to our homes and businesses, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and supporting the Welsh Government’s target for electricity to be 100 per cent renewable by 2035.
“Green GEN Cymru, part of the Bute Energy group, is proposing Green GEN Towy Usk, a renewable energy network which will link a number of Energy Parks to the National Grid at a point near Carmarthen. And it could reduce pressure on the existing electricity grid, supporting green businesses and enabling green heating and the roll out of electric vehicles across rural Wales.
“Green GEN Cymru are in the process of applying for an Independent Distribution Network Operator (IDNO) license. This would give Green GEN Cymru additional powers to gain access to land, alongside other responsibilities. However, our approach will always be to come to voluntary agreement with landowners for survey access, construction and operation of infrastructure.”
The plans for the site have been the subject of much controversy in the area, with local opposition groups warning that the plans would “destroy landscapes and livelihoods, along with the environment and the ecology that surrounds them”.
The plan to apply for a licence was first revealed at a meeting with Builth Wells town councillors at the end of April.
In this meeting it was confirmed by Peter Morris, the professional lead of Powys County Council Planning that the Council would not be responsible for any planning decisions in relation to the project and would only be “a consultee relating to local issues”. This is because the whole project will be classed as a ‘Development of National Significance’ (DNS)
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