The Welsh Government will be launching a publicly-owned renewable energy developer, according to an announcement made by The Minister for Climate Change, Julie James.
The new company, being launched in response to the energy and environmental crisis, will aim to “scale up renewable energy roll-out”, in line with Wales’ target of more than 1GW of locally-owned generation by 2030, initially focusing on the development of onshore wind projects in the Welsh Government’s woodland estate.
Any surplus funds generated by the activities of the new developer will reportedly be reinvested in both energy efficiency measures for Welsh homes and the continued creation of clean energy jobs.
In making the announcement, Julie James said:
“We want to harvest our wind and use it to produce power that directly benefits people in Wales.
“We will set up a publicly-owned renewable energy developer. This is a long-term sustainable investment that puts net zero and the communities of Wales at the heart of the transition we need.
“We are in a climate emergency and our approach is in stark contrast to the UK Government that is focusing on fracking and fossil fuels – opposed by most communities and incompatible with our international obligations.”
The announcement follows a warning from the Welsh Affairs Committee that “a lack of UK Government leadership on improving grid connectivity” is both hindering Wales’ ability to achieve its’ renewable energy potential and presenting a “significant threat to economic growth”. The Committee’s report also highlighted that while there is work underway, there needs to be a far greater effort in tackling the problems associated with grid capacity if the nation is to achieve its’ Net Zero targets.
