Plans for pylons in Tipp could be shelved

The independent review panel charged with looking at Eirgrid's plans for a new network which would run through large parts of the Golden Vale has released its findings.

Eirgrid’s €500 million plans for a series of 45 metre high pylons stretching from Kildare to Cork – with two of the proposed routes running through South Tipp at Cahir, Clerihan and Carrick – faced strong local opposition.

Following thousands of public submissions on the plans, the then-Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte established an independent commission to examine the underground options for the GridLink and GridWest projects.

The panel has found the plans for an overhead power line or undergrounding cables are unlikely to be implemented in the short to medium term.

The statement from the panel states that Eirgrid’s Discussion Paper on the GridLink and GridWest projects put forward a 'regional option' that seems to be preferred by the company.

That option would involve using the existing 400kv grid infrastructure from Moneypoint to the greater Dublin area instead of constructing any new overhead or underground solutions for Grid Link.

The independent experts say that given EirGrid’s clear preference for the regional option, which does not involve any development of any new overhead lines or any significant sections of underground cable; it would appear that the Grid Link Overhead Line and Underground Cable options are unlikely to be implemented in the short to medium term.

However, the panel does say that in the longer term, should such options be revived in the future, there would be need for considerable scrutiny at that stage.