Green party leaders have splintered on Suffolk's pylon predicament as discussions over the long-touted Norwich to Tilbury line heat up.
Earlier this year, Zack Polanski told the BBC that the UK badly needs pylon infrastructure to tackle climate change.
While he noted the importance of consultation, the Green Party leader highlighted that pylons will need to be built to drive green energy forward.
This comes as the Green Party surged past 100,000 members in October, with huge national success over the cost of living and the war in Gaza.
However, Caroline Topping, leader of East Suffolk Council, says that pylons are being chosen in Suffolk as they are the "quickest and cheapest" option.
Her position diverges from her leaders' more direct approach to upgrading renewable energy infrastructure.
This comes after a series of demonstrations took place in Suffolk and Essex on Saturday against the Norwich to Tilbury line.
Cllr Topping said: "On the Norwich to Tilbury pylons, I believe an offshore ring main could have been a better, less disruptive & futureproof solution.
"We shouldn’t just be looking for the quickest or cheapest — we should be looking for the best option, for both people and the environment.
“As a country, we need secure, affordable, clean energy for our modern lives — but we also need food security, and we must protect our countryside and nature."
The Norwich to Tilbury line would be 159km of proposed overhead lines supported by approximately 509 pylons.
It is designed to carry energy from the North Sea power line to connect North Sea wind farms to the UK's high-voltage electricity grid at the Tilbury North Substation in Essex.
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Andrew Mellen, leader of Mid Suffolk District Council, said he is also concerned about the overground line route.
He said: “It feels as if this transmission line is being ‘done to’ communities rather than ‘done with’ them.
"There are still many unanswered questions, such as why electricity from the North Sea link was brought on land to a point south of Norwich seemingly without a plan for onward transmission. "
He also outlined that while he doesn't have a strong view on nationalising National Grid, unlike Green Party leader Zack Polanski and his deputy Andrew Stringer, he does believe it has an imperative to maximise profits to shareholders rather than solely considering the public.
Adrian Ramsay, MP for Waveney Valley, has also been fighting against the Norwich to Tilbury line and says he is worried.
Mr Ramsay is concerned about how households, farmers and communities directly impacted by the project will be properly compensated.
He said: “I have consistently argued for a rapid increase in the deployment of renewables and for strengthening the electricity grid.
"But this must be done in a way that limits negative ecological and community impacts."
The political situation has left some campaigners against the project frustrated and feeling unrepresented.
Rosie Pearson from Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk says "the Green Party could hardly be less Green if it tried".
She describes Polanski as "ill-informed and inconsistent" and says he is "failing to listen to locals".
Mrs Pearson said: "It is frankly shocking that Polanski endorses a project that causes such devastation when we could coordinate offshore, bury cables using HVDC or upgrade the existing grid instead."
Meanwhile, Richard Rout, Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reorganisation and NSIPs at Suffolk County Council, also weighed in on Mr Polaski's position.
He said: "The Green Party leader’s comment that he supports pylons across the countryside confirmed what we have long said - the root cause of the industrialisation of our countryside with pylons and solar farms is the agenda the Green Party supports.
"Locally, Green politicians may claim to oppose the Norwich to Tilbury pylons, but the truth is the aims they support as a national party require the pylons to be built."
A National Grid Spokesman said: “The Norwich to Tilbury project will help deliver more homegrown British energy to meet rising demand across East Anglia and the rest of the country, bringing cleaner power from more affordable sources while boosting local economies and creating jobs.
“Over the past three years, we have listened closely to communities, landowners, and local representatives.
"Through hundreds of events and conversations, we received around 20,000 pieces of feedback, which have led to a number of changes to the project.
"Our proposals are being independently examined by the Planning Inspectorate before the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero makes a final decision on whether the project strikes the right balance between environmental, engineering and community considerations.”
Zack Polanski was approached for further comment on the issue.
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