Investment potential in Wales
The conference started with a bang as the BIGGAR economics report highlighted the immense investment potential in Wales’ renewable energy sector, estimated at £47 billion by 2035, with an average annual investment of £4 billion. Offshore wind is expected to dominate this investment (£32bn), but there’s significant interest in onshore wind (£5bn), solar (£7bn), and wave and tidal energy (£3bn), based on a projected 19,300 MW of capacity across these technologies.
Impressive speech by the First Minister
The speech by Wales’ new First Minister, Eluned Morgan was the highlight across the two days, giving the industry a much-needed boost which permeated throughout the rest of the conference. Drawing from her first hand experience in the onshore wind industry, she shared her past frustrations and her determination to accelerate renewable energy projects in Wales. She emphasised the recent approval of five projects since September and hinted at more planning decisions to come.
The FM’s commitment to matching the UK Labour Government’s pace on renewables was clear, and she announced her intention to form an industry-led taskforce to expedite progress. Her pride in Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, the Welsh Government’s state-owned developer was evident, with an expectation of great things ahead.
With the instruction to her civil servants, “I hope you are taking notes”, we were left in no uncertain terms that the First Minister means business!
Collaborative efforts for clean energy
On the second day, we heard from Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy, and Planning, and UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks. Their joint appearance underscored the new partnership working between two Labour governments in Wales and Westminster.
In a similar vein to the FM, Evans declared the importance of renewable energy to the Welsh Government’s plans for economic growth. She trumpeted the major projects she has already given the green light since her appointment, and expected rate of DNS decisions to increase further.
Perhaps most notably, Rebecca Evans announced that Planning Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) will be empowered to take decisions on renewable energy projects up to 50MW, which she suggested could reduce end-to-end decision time by at least 12 weeks. She also reaffirmed her commitment to a sector deal for renewable energy to support delivery and remove barriers.
Michael Shanks, on his first engagement in Wales, spoke about the the country’s rich industrial and energy heritage and likened this to its pivotal role in the UK’s renewable energy future. He emphasised the collaborative efforts between GB Energy and Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru and reiterated the UK government’s commitment to becoming a world leader in the clean energy transition, as highlighted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at COP29 in Baku.
Diolch
Diolch RenewableUK Cymru for putting on another valuable event. It served as a much-needed boost and a powerful reminder of the exciting opportunities and collaborative spirit driving the renewable energy sector in Wales.
Image source: RenewableUK Cymru