On Thursday 3 March 2022, our Policy and External Affairs Manager Will Henson gave evidence to the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee on renewable energy. The exchange built on evidence from our reports, Re-energising Wales and Renewing the Focus: Re-energising Wales Two Years On. Will stood alongside Rhys Wyn Jones, director of RenewableUK Cymru, and Robert Proctor, Business Development Manager with Community Energy Wales.
Our key recommendations were:
- Wales should be developing Homes as Power Stations, marine energy, and bioenergy as the best ways to achieve its Net Zero commitments and generate wealth for the country while building on Welsh assets.
- We should maximise community ownership in energy generation projects, as a way of ensuring Wales derives the maximum benefit from the transition to renewable energy. We should also ensure that communities are part of any discussion to develop new energy generation projects.
- In light of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, renewables can be an asset for energy security. We believe increasing energy efficiency and accelerating the transformation of homes into Power Stations can protect Wales in the event of future such crises as well as contributing towards Net Zero. Building up a diverse portfolio of renewable energy generation sources and lowering consumption will help future-proof Wales in an unstable geopolitical context, and avoid a sudden hike in energy prices.
- Future energy generation projects should be developed with a view to make the best possible use of available land, and an aim to protect natural resources.
- The transition to renewable energy will involve a change in mindset, as energy generation sources will become embedded in the landscape and our day-to-day.
Watch the session below or on Senedd TV: