New analysis published by RenewableUK Cymru (Wales-based) has revealed that a proposed grid transmission route could unlock an extra £1.3 billion of spending with Welsh business.
The analysis also proved that 540 new long-term jobs would be supported. Both benefits would not come to fruition if an alternate route is approved – one which bypasses Wales.
Unlike many energy projects creating investability and jobs, most of the value would come not from constructing the grid infrastructure itself – but from the long-term operation of the onshore renewable energy projects it would enable.
The analysis claims that MWNC would provide up to 3GW of additional connection capacity for Welsh onshore wind and solar, which in turn would create benefits for local communities and highly productive employment that could help narrow Wales’s productivity gap with the rest of the UK.
The projects enabled by the pathway would also enable almost £60 million in business rates and community benefits every year.
Jessica Hooper, Director of RenewableUK Cymru, said: “This decision is about far more than where pylons go. It is about whether Wales has the infrastructure it needs to build a stronger economy, and whether the value created stays here in Wales.
“A route through Wales, including a new substation in Mid Wales, would unlock renewable energy projects, jobs and sustained opportunities for Welsh businesses. But its true value would go further than the benefits we have been able to quantify from those projects alone.”
If the alternative, less lucrative route is approved, the report warns it’ll be harder for Welsh Government to achieve its ambitions for growth, productivity and industrial renewal.
Copyright © 2026 Energy Live News LtdELN